Starting New
by TheMysticalOne
Summary: Norm’s dream to become part of the Na’vi has faded. But past war events force the people to move to a new home. Can Jake convince Norm to become one of the Omaticaya and help the Na'vi start over new? Slash. Norm/Jake
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer –The author of this fan fiction does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the original characters belong to the creator(s) of the movie, Avatar (2009). Any original characters in the story belong to TheMysticalOne.

Summary – Norm's dream to become part of the Na'vi has faded. But past war events force the people to move to a new home. Can Jake convince Norm to become one of the Omaticaya and help the Na'vi start over new? Slash. Norm/Jake.

Note: This is the edited version of this chapter. I went back and changed a few things to make it a bit easier to understand. Thanks for checking it out! I love reviews!!

Starting New

Chapter 1

I had spent years preparing for my time on Pandora. Their culture was so different from ours, so unique. The fluidity of their language astounded me. When I had arrived I had been excited, so ready to be accepted by the Na'vi people. When I met Tom's brother, I knew right away that he would need a lot of help, a lot of training. Little did I know it would work quite opposite.

After the wars were over and the majoring of humans left to go back to earth, a handful of us stayed to continue research. I was one of them. Jake had returned to his beloved Na'vi tribe with his Neytiri. I hadn't heard from him for a while, but I didn't really make an effort to. Most of us from the base had been spared from the wars, at least most of the scientists. Trudy had an accident with her helicopter, sent it flying towards a cliff. Luckily for her, she managed to eject right before impact. She suffered some minor medical problems, but those were cleared up after a few days. Max made it though fine, with only a slap on the wrist. Grace was the only one who hadn't made it through after our desperate escape to reach the Na'vi people in the beginning. We had tried everything possible to ensure that she would live, but her time was simply over.

I spent most mornings outside, taking samples when everything had finally calmed down. I hadn't had the guts to return back to my avatar body. My avatar had intensive damage from a gunshot to the collarbone and shoulder. The body was hooked up to many tubes and monitors. Maybe I wasn't mean to be so much like them after all.

I gathered some unusual plant samples and made my way back into the building, greeting Trudy on the way and then sitting in my office area. I tinkered around with the neon pink and orange plants for a while, pulling out the microscope to look at them further before there was a knock at my door.

"Hey Norm, you've got a visitor, Buddy," Trudy said poking her head in and snapping the door shut behind her.

I sighed. I had almost completed a full collection of samples from the Tsutano plant, only to be interrupted by some _visitor_. I put down my tools and walked down the hall. You can imagine my surprise to find one of the Omaticaya standing in the cafeteria. His hair had grown longer and was pulled back in tiny braids that blended into one long one. He wore several elaborate necklaces that proclaimed his new status as chief of the tribe.

"Jake?" I asked suddenly.

"Norm, I haven't seen you for a while."

"You're…you're the _chief_ now?" I said, completely in shock.

"Tsu-Tey passed while fighting."

"Well, that's just convenient," I replied, rather harshly.

He was quiet and said, "I was hoping to see you around the new Hometree. What have you been doing? Where is your avatar?"

"Still out of commission," I lied, knowing right well that I could have full use of it if I chose to.

"Even after so long?" Jake asked, shaking his head, "I thought you would have been first to jump back into your avatar body to come visit."

"Things are different now, Jake."

"How so?" He asked.

I turned around, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, "You're the great Toruk Makato. You're the chief. You have everything."

He only shrugged slightly, "I didn't ask to be any of that. I only did what I thought was best."

"Why are you here?"

"Neytiri's dead."

That stopped me in my tracks and I suddenly wished I hadn't said those vicious remarks earlier. Last time I had seen Neytiri, she had been alive and well. She and Jake had said their farewells before going back to their tribe.

"She's…dead?"

"Many Na'vi perished during the attempt to bring down the fleet. Her death was…an unnecessary casualty," Jake said, looking away for a moment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I thought-"

"I'm sure you've been_ busy_."

"Well, there are so many samples that need to be taken. You wouldn't believe the plants I've found the past few days. It's amazing what-"

"We need your avatar," Jake interrupted, taking a step forward and putting a giant hand on my shoulder, "We need you."

"Why?"

"The clan is dying out. There are few left. We need doctors like you to help. We need warriors. We need whatever we can get. You have an avatar. You can do it," Jake insisted, "This is what you've always wanted."

"That dream is long gone, Jake. Things have changed."

"You have the opportunity to join the Omaticaya. This _is_ what you want. I know it is. I talked to Trudy. She tells me you've been spending hours, days up here with your plants. You need to get out of here-"

"I'm fine," I argued.

"I lost everything!" Jake cried suddenly, taking a step away, "I lost everything, but I still manage to hold onto hope. I want things to change for the better. This hasn't been easy. This is a hardship. I may be clan leader, but I still struggle to understand the people after all this time. And, without Neytiri, it's been so difficult. She taught me the way. She brought me such optimism for the future. I struggle to keep that."

"Look Jake…I'm sorry about Neytiri, but-"

"Just think about it, alright? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You still have your avatar, so make use of it. You told me once that you wish you could be Na'vi. This is your time. Eywa will allow it."

"You want me to go completely into the tribe, abandon my human body and just start a new? It's not so easy, Jake," I still argued, looking up at his much taller form, "I told you things have changed."

"Just think about it, Norm," He said, turning back towards the door, "I will come back tomorrow and you can tell me your decision."

"I can't guarantee anything," I said with a shrug.

He just nodded and exited the building, calling his Ikran and jumping onto his back. With a loud _caw_ I watched him took off onto his banshee and fly high into the sky. The fluidity of his motions and almost cocky nature would make me think he was born doing this. I thought back to when I first met Jake. He had been in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. Look at where he is today.

I lay down in my bunk that night and pondered the situation. Could I really leave my human life and start over? I didn't think I could be the warrior that Jake was. Perhaps he was right. I could be a doctor, their scientist. Maybe it could work.

I glanced at the clock and sighed. It was already passed midnight. I slid out of bed and pulled on some shoes and silently made my way into the lab. I passed the computers and opened up another door, where my avatar was being held. I turned on a dim light and sat down next to it. The wounds were almost completely healed, but an IV was hooked up to retain body fluids. It had been almost a week since I had been in the avatar body. The coloring of the avatar had faded to a lighter blue, pale one would say. The crew said I needed to switch. I needed to take control or the avatar would die. I had spent too many long years of waiting, studying, and working to allow that to happen. I had already made my decision.

I would join the Omaticaya to become a true Na'vi.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for the lovely reviews! I really enjoy reading them and look forward to seeing more. Here's another chapter for you!

Chapter 2

I stayed up all night, weighing my options and trying to make a decision. Of course, my heart had already made such decision last night already. I was just trying to decide how I would tell everyone at our base. How would they react? There had been many mixed reactions when Jake had turned Na'vi. But, that was before. Now the people here might be a bit more understanding in my circumstances, hopefully. I could only prey they wouldn't condemn me as a betrayer as they had done to Jake.

My plants and research had been discarded as I anxiously waited for Jake to come. I wasn't sure if I was reluctant or excited about it. There were so many mixed feelings. I had considered talking to Trudy about my opinions, but didn't know if she could truly understand, considering she never had an avatar like Jake and I. I wished Grace could be here. She would understand. She would encourage it.

I was still in shock of Neytiri's death. It came so sudden. Jake hadn't really gone into detail, but I was sure it was either during or shortly after the attack at the Tree of Souls. That had been only a week ago. It was starting to feel like eternity.

"Have you decided?"

I jumped out of my chair from where I had ended up falling asleep next to my avatar. Jake stood in the doorway and watched me. He ducked underneath the doorframe and came to sit next to me. It always surprised, me, even today, at how much bigger the Na'vi were.

"It looks like you would have had to make the decision with or without me soon," Jake commented, laying a tentative hand upon my avatar that looked to be asleep, probably noticing the sick pallor of the blue skin.

I nodded and said nothing.

"I spoke to Mo'at about asking you to join the tribe," Jake continued, leaning back in the chair and letting his long legs rest in front of him, "She hopes you will say yes."

I knew Mo'at, the shaman, had saved both Jake and Grace from what would have been a sudden early death. She seems to understand our circumstance and had encouraged peace between humans and Na'vi for some time.

"It's a big decision," I said with a nod, clearing my throat, "But I do want to help the tribe. I want to help rebuild what was lost. I'll do it."

"You will?" Jake said, sounding surprised, "The way you talked last night—I thought you would say no."

"I thought about it all night. I didn't sleep a wink you know. You and your Na'vi thoughts kept me up."

Jake gave a little smile, "I feel like we were chosen to be avatar drivers for a reason. Grace fulfilled her reason. She died trying to protect the tribe. I have fought to be where I am. Now it's your turn."

"When will it be done?"

"As soon as possible."

The ceremony was to be performed that evening. I had donned a mask and followed Jake outside. He was carrying my avatar, which still had on a hospital gown. I was still nervous about the entire transformation. I hadn't spoke to anyone on our base about it. I left Trudy a short note, telling her in in very few words what was happening and where she could find me from now on.

We walked on a bit and instead of his Ikran waiting; there was a five legged dire horse.

"You knew I'd agree," I said suddenly.

He turned around suddenly and nodded, "I hoped you would. And I figured you didn't want to ride Tsu'Le anytime soon."

"Tsu'Le?" I asked.

"Yes, my Ikran. That's what I named him. I ride my Toruk sparingly now. I like to save that adventure for when he's really needed."

"How are we-"

Jake somehow managed to jump upon his horse and cradle my avatar at the same time, "Give me your hand."

He pulled me on behind him and took off almost immediately. I struggled to hold on. He moved quickly through the forest and I tried to figure out how this five legged creature was able to run while holding all three of us. Their new Hometree was further away. He seemed to take a long way as to avoid the other Hometree, which was in ruins.

We zig zagged through the immense forest, passed rivers and lakes. I saw the new Hometree in the distance. It was large, not as large as the previous one, but still quite large by the Na'vi standards. The people looked up when we arrived, still very interested in a human. I nodded slightly to them, still holding Jake around the waist. The children seemed confused, worried perhaps at seeing an unconscious Na'vi draped across Jake's chest. The adults, however, understood quite well.

"Here we are," He said, helping me down and then hopping down himself.

Some other warriors greeted Jake customarily and took my avatar from his hands.

"Now, I must speak with Mo'at," He said.

She seemed to sense his arrival and came over to me quickly, taking both my small hands into her bigger one and smiling sadly.

"What have you decided Normspellman?" She asked.

I looked between her and Jake and nodded, "I decided to go through with it. I will become Na'vi."

She bowed slightly and nodded, "Very good decision."

I spent the day with Jake. Many of the people greeted him warmly and he spoke to all who stopped him. I struggled to keep up with the language. Jake had been living with them long enough to speak it almost fluidly. I had to listen intently to catch their meanings. He showed me around the new camp. They were in an entire state of building new. The women were cooking the dinner feast and others were sewing new hammocks and cloths. The children played games of tag and a varied version of soccer.

Jake had been truthful when he said they were rebuilding. The men were putting up pillars and pulling giant tan tarps to cover themselves from rain. But, something seemed to be missing. I had expected messes, complete disarray, but there was none of that. The Na'vi each had his or her own tasks and everything was in order. Jake had made it sounded like there was nothing left for them. The people are so in tune with nature and I found that they really didn't have that much in the first place.

"It's the memories we miss the most. It haunts so many of the tribes people," Jake said to me later.

"It doesn't seem like you need my help," I argued.

"We always need help. You are more than needed, you are wanted here," Jake said and nodded over to a small, covered entrance way to the side of the grounds, "Go there. Mo'at will tell you what to do next."

I offered one nervous last look and made my way towards the entrance. Mo'at was inside and she quickly pulled a curtain closed behind me. I had fasted for the day, drinking only water and no food. She said I had to become "pure body and pure mind".

"Normspellman, sit," She instructed in English, pointing down to a mat on the ground.

I looked around briefly at the quaint décor and nodded. She followed quickly and I was surprised at her agility at what I imagined to be an old age. She leaned over and lit a pipe, breathing in deeply. She lifted her hands and the smoke from the pipe moved around the room. The smell was sweet and drifted into my nostrils.

"I didn't want you in the tribe in the beginning," She said, inhaling deeply, "You are an outsider. Outsiders are not welcome."

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to follow what she was saying. She didn't want me here? Jake told me she had. What was she getting at?

"I had made that decision on my own, but there was a sign from Eywa," Mo'at said and her large yellow eyes looked into mine, "She sees a future, Eywa does. She sees good things happening with you. She sees…peace with Jake. He is very troubled. Our Neytiri was very special, Normspellman. I hope that Eywa is right. I know she is. You will make the difference."

I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't want to question Eywa. I wanted to be accepted.

"We shouldn't make them wait any longer," She said, her hands moving to my shoulders, "But I must know, do you make this decision on your own? Will you adhere to the ways of the Na'vi?"

"I do," I said, nodding my head with a kind of reverence, "I do want to become Na'vi. I want to help the people."

"Then it shall be done by the will of Eywa," She said softly and touched my shirt, "Now, I leave you. Remove these articles that make you human. After tonight, you will be forever Na'vi!"

I watched Mo'at leave the small hut. I stood in my clothing and took a deep breath. This was my last night as human, the last time. I was scared. I was scared that it would go wrong. I was scared that I wouldn't be accepted by the tribes people. I wondered about this sign that Mo'at had mentioned. What did she see? I hadn't much more time to contemplate this as I heard the people chanting outside. I listened for a moment, amazed at such spiritual connection I felt to the earth and to the Omaticaya.

It was my time. I had made the decision and I must stick by it. I tentatively removed my articles of clothing one by one, the red shirt first, and then the boots, the khaki pants. I stood nude in the room with only my breathing mask on. I found the leaves from the neyamo vine carefully laid into a basket on the ground. I pulled them out, my eyebrows raising a bit. Did she expect me to wear these? I thought back to when the transformation had been performed on Grace. That's what had been used to cover her. I wasn't there for Jake's transformation, so I could only assume. The curtain opened a moment later and I jumped slightly, trying to cover my body from the intruder. It was Mo'at. She studied me for a moment.

"This body we respect, but this body will be no more," Mo'at explained putting a hand on my shoulder, "Wear these vines. They are a sign of life."

She pulled the vines out of the hand and began weaving them around my lower body. I was more than embarrassed.

"It is time."

I followed Mo'at out, passed leaves and bushes and trees to a solitary Tree of Souls close to their vicinity. The single tree was large, but it was the color—the brightness, the beauty that really took my breath away. My state of semi-half dress was suddenly forgotten as I was lost in the song and colors of the dance the people performed.

"Come," She said.

I followed her and she had to give me a boost to reach the higher area beneath the tree. Jake followed soon after with my avatar, wrapped in a similar leafing. He laid the avatar down and I watched in confusion as he gently touched the forehead and glanced at me.

"Lay down here," He said, instructing me to lay down next to my avatar.

I followed in suit, my head falling next to my avatar's. It was a very unusual feeling to know that I would be waking up in the body next to mine and never again in this body.

"You must concentrate, Normspellman," Mo'at said with a nod.

I watched the women of the tribe sway to the Pandora's beat beneath their feet.

"Close your eyes," She whispered, placing her large palm over my eyes to close them.

"Jake!" I said suddenly, my eyes opening quickly.

He came over to my side and took my hand, "What is it?"

"What if I don't wake up?" I whispered, "What if it doesn't work?"

"It will work," He said firmly, his skin glowing in the darkness, "Eywa chose you as she chose me. Now sleep."

I closed my eyes once again, listening to the beautiful music of the Na'vi, the beat of their planet. I felt small tendrils stick onto my skin, but I did not wake. I could feel Eywa in me already, sending me calming visions of waterfalls, rainbows, and their beautiful planet. The sound of the people soon became a dull hum and I felt myself nodding off. Moments later there was a rush of memories, a blur of colors, and a sea of life.

I opened my eyes and things seemed to blur together for a moment. After the fog disappeared I found myself looking into large, expressive yellow eyes. Jake smiled brightly and nodded encouragement.

"Welcome to the Na'vi, Norm."


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you guys for the reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I'm going to take this relationship slowly. Neytiri just passed away and I didn't Jake to just conveniently forget her in one day. So here is the story of Norm's "rebirth" and the story of what happened to Neytiri.

Chapter 3

I stared up into the sky for a few moments. I seemed to be lost. I admired the large, swirling colors in the sky that made up the planet that Pandora circled.

"You okay, there?" Jake said.

I felt the tendrils that had been attached to my body and braid slowly retract and I lifted up a shaky hand. It shook lightly and I traced the blue lines and saw the darker area where the IV had been attached to my arm.

"Norm?"

"Give him a moment, Jake," Mo'at suggested, kneeling slightly to put a hand on his shoulder, "You were the same way. It is a big change."

I continued tracing the lines up to my arm. I put one arm behind me and somehow managed to push myself up into a sitting position. I groaned slightly, feeling my head spin and looked out into the eager crowd. I swayed a bit; overwhelmed by the number of people and the sudden change that gravity seemed to have on me.

"It worked," I whispered, turning back to look at Jake, "It worked!"

Jake grinned, showing off sharp white teeth and nodded, "Yes it worked! Here, let me help you up."

He put out a large hand and my hand didn't seem so small anymore. I placed my palm into his and he pulled me up. I put an arm out to steady my balance. I hadn't been in my avatar body for so long. Every movement felt a little off. I could already tell that this avatar body needed rest…rest and food. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, this was no avatar body, this was _my_ body. I was an avatar no more.

With that thought I glanced down to the ground to see my human body lay motionless. It seemed so white, so pale compared to my solid, tall, blue body. Someone had taken the breathing mask off and I looked at what was left of it and I took an unsteady breath. Jake took a step to the side, blocking the view of my human body.

"It's alright," He said, pursing his lips and placing his palm against my chest, "That is your old body. _This_ is your new body."

I nodded once and tried to control my breathing. The ground had turned quiet and Mo'at thanked the people for coming. I nodded and gave an awkward little wave of thanks. The people dispersed and I rubbed a hand across my face.

"Your very tired, Normspellman," Mo'at said, touching my arm, "You should sleep now."

She was right. I felt _exhausted_. I felt like I hadn't slept for days, even though my avatar...my body, had slept for days on end.

Jake nodded, "Let's get you somewhere to sleep and…a loincloth."

I looked down and turned a darker shade of blue in my cheeks. Jake just grinned at me and waved a hand. I started after him, but he was so fast.

"Slow down Jake," I said, struggling to keep up. I was just so tired.

"Sorry. I'm used to moving fast all the time."

He put a hand on my elbow for support and we walked over a few huge branches, some as large as tree trunks, to where we would sleep, "This is my hammock. That will be yours."

I looked to the side and saw one nearby, suspended off the large branch. Jake effortlessly jumped down and climbed into his, curling his legs up and looking at me from below the tree. I hesitated, before jumping down, almost completely missing the hammock and holding on desperately for dear life. Jake wasn't much help and just laughed as I swung violently several hundred yards above the ground.

"You're no help," I muttered.

"Sorry," He said, calming down, but still smiling, "It's just that I did the exact same thing my first time."

I lay there for a moment and then felt something light land on my head. I twitched and pulled off a leather cloth from my head. It was a loincloth. I turned slightly to see Jake just smiling widely at me. I pushed myself deeper into the hammock, preying he wasn't watching and removed the vine from across my lower body. I quickly pulled the loincloth on and had to put my hand backwards to pull out my tail.

"I'm glad everything turned out alright," Jake said, turning and facing me.

I pushed myself sideways on the hammock and took a moment or two to regain balance, "What will happen to my human body?"

"They will bury it with mine and with Grace's. There's a Na'vi cemetery on the south end of the Hometree," He said, his long fingers tinkering with the fabric that he was suspended on, "They will have the ceremony tomorrow."

"Seems so strange—like I died," I murmured.

"Mo'at calls it a rebirth, not a death. You have been reborn," He explained.

We were quiet for a moment, listening to the unusual sounds of insects in the night.

"What happened to Neytiri, Jake?"

He sighed and his expression changed. His large, yellow eyes landed on me, "We thought she was fine. She came back from the battle fine with only a few cuts and scrapes. A day later she developed this large bruise on her stomach. The warriors called it a battle scar and laughed it off. I, however, wasn't so convinced. She seemed tired and it took her longer to keep up. By the third day, she was very sick, throwing up, blood in her bowels—the whole nine yards. Mo'at tried to heal her, but it wasn't enough."

"What was it? Internal bleeding?" I asked.

Jake nodded, "Most likely. I brought up to council that we should bring the human doctors in to try and do something for her. I was getting desperate. I couldn't just let her die. She wasn't at all like herself. She was tired and couldn't keep food down. She was very weak. Mo'at refused to have human doctors look at her. I even suggested that you could come—in your avatar body to take a look at her. I just wanted someone to _look_ at her. Mo'at refused."

He paused and turned to lay on his back. I thought he was finished with the story, but he continues.

"She blames herself for Neytiri's death. I know she does. She was just as shocked as I was. One morning we found that Neytiri had passed away in her sleep. Mo'at feels guilty. She could have had you look at her. She could still be with us today."

"Jake, I'm sure-"

He interrupted me, "That's why she wanted you to join the tribe. She says she saw a sign, but I think it was just that she felt guilty. She thinks that bringing you into the tribe will help balance out what we lost. I think she hopes that if someone else gets hurt or sick, that you might be able to save them this time around."

"Those are big shoes to fill," I said, shaking my head, "And it's not Mo'at's fault that Neytiri died."

"I know, and I can't really blame her for hoping that things will improve with you as a doctor of sorts," Jake said and I saw that his eyes were closed, "Goodnight Norm. I'll see you in the morning."

"'Night Jake," I responded and paused before adding, "And thank you for doing this."

"I don't know what Mo'at saw, if it was anything at all, but I do have a feeling that you made the right decision. I think it'll all work out. It's for the best," Jake said.

I chewed on my lip and looked up. There were other hammocks littering the sky above and below me. I could hear the rest of the people settling in for the evening. I closed my eyes again and was almost asleep when I felt something tickling my nose. I opened my eyes, startled and looked right at a seed from the Tree of Soul's that was glowing white in the dark night. I opened my mouth slightly, in awe of the beauty of it. I turned my head, ready to tell Jake what I had seen, but he was fast asleep, his breath coming deeply and steadily.

When I looked back, it was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you guys for the reviews! I'm glad you like reading the story. There's a lot more to come!

Chapter 4

The following morning Jake offered me some eggs and bread and I eagerly ate. I was ravenous. I felt like I hadn't eaten in years. Jake sat next to me, eating his meal a bit slower and watching with a grin as I ate mine and then asked for seconds.

"When the people are ready, they will hold the vigil for your body. It will be short—don't expect a whole lot. They now recognize that your spirit has been transferred permanently into your Na'vi body," Jake said, taking a sip of tea and glancing at me.

A while later Mo'at had begun to gather the tribe together and they made the trek down past the trees and flowers to the very southern peak of the Hometree. I saw a small cemetery, similar to the ones that were human made, but also strikingly different. Instead of tombstones and crosses to mark the grave, there were rocks that had been painted a variety of colors.

"That is Grace's," Jake said as we passed, glancing at a semi-fresh grave with several flowers planted around the outside.

We walked a bit further and passed up Jake's own, Tsu-Tey's, and Neytiri's. Jake pointed them all out, but didn't seem to want to talk about it much. We were here to lay my old body to rest. Mo'at had the warriors put down my body into a shallow grace and she stood near the body, waving incense around and the women threw in a few flowers.

I caught the most important parts of what she chanted, mostly about thanking Eywa for my life, human and Na'vi. She spoke of the rebirth and the beginning of a new life. Jake lowered his head and joined in the end part of the chant. I couldn't help but think he was especially familiar with funerals. But, when he looked up, his yellow eyes followed mine and he smiled.

When it was over the men of the clan covered the hole with dirt and moved on. I stood there for a moment and Jake sensed my stalling.

"I'll…I'll be right over here, alright?"

I nodded mutely, kneeling down and placing my hand in the fresh dirt. I had originally thought that changing to Na'vi would be easy. I thought that I might have some troubles at first, maybe some conflicting thoughts. This was true, but I couldn't help but think I wasn't ready for this—like I somehow didn't deserve it. It would be hard to leave my human body behind, my human life. It was what I was familiar with and what I knew best. Sure, I knew a lot about the Na'vi culture and their lives, but it would always be my human life that I would think back to.

I paused at the grave's of Neytiri and Jake. It was surreal to think that both Jake and I were buried here, but we still very much alive. And, since Neytiri's death Jake seemed different. He wasn't as carefree as he used to be. I could tell by his more upright posture, strong set jaw, and general seriousness about life. If it weren't for his occasional smiles, I would think he was a completely different person.

I moved to Grace's resting place. So many people had died that day on Pandora, but it was Grace that I missed the most. I could relate to her so well. She and I had a certain understanding. We had studied together and had adventures with our avatars. I wonder what she would think now. She had always wanted to be Na'vi. She should have been in my place now. It shouldn't have been me.

With a sigh I stood up and found Jake sitting nearby on a low tree branch, his feet dangling down. He looked up at me and nodded. I jumped up next to him and looked out.

"It's peaceful here," He said and sighed, "But it's difficult for me to be here. There have been so many deaths. It's hard not to wonder what it would have been like if nobody had died."

"Grace would have wanted to be Na'vi," I said, my hands moving idly over the moss under me.

Jake smiled lightly, "Your right. That was her dream. She would have made a great Na'vi. She was so talented."

"So what happens now Jake?" I asked, turning my head slightly to look at him, "I'll never be a warrior, you know. I'll never be a true part of the tribe."

"Not all the people in the tribe were born into the Omaticaya. There were others who came here from other tribes. They had to go through the same rigorous tests that I went through and not all of them are warriors."

"I thought in order to be part of the tribe that I would have to complete the warrior 'skill tests'," I said, surprised by his answer, "That's what I was taught."

"Well, warriors are what's most typically needed by the people, but not all the people are warriors. Some are cooks, some fabric makers, others beaders, weapon makers, basket weavers... Mo'at asked me to speak to you about one thing, though."

"What's that?"

"Neytiri would have been the next shaman in the clan. Her mother was shaman and so the task would have been passed down to the next generation. Now Mo'at has no one to pass down to. Her mate is gone, her daughter is gone. She has no one left," He explained, "She is getting older and has decided to choose a new shaman. She has chosen you."

"What? Why me? I'm no shaman; I'm not even really a doctor!" I argued, shaking my head.

"Don't be so put off already, Norm. You don't even know anything about it. You're more similar to a shaman than you think. You have an interest in plants and an understanding of animals. You know of certain remedies that are typical to the Na'vi. You could take the role of the doctor easily and the shaman is only a small step up."

"I don't know Jake. You make it sound so easy…"

"I guarantee it's _not_ going to be easy. Neytiri was a very strict teacher and I'm sure that her mother, Mo'at will be, also. But, this is your way into the tribe. Isn't that what you want? If you can learn the skill and complete the tasks then you will be welcomed with open arms. That is how it's done here. Isn't that what you've been worried about the whole time?"

"Yes, but…what if I can't do it? What if it's too hard?" I asked, picking one of my feet up and looking at the bottoms, which were a little discolored around the sides from walking so far.

"Mo'at likes you. She'll help you. Tell me what you need help with and maybe even I can help you."

"When is she going to ask me?"

"She's not. She expects you to show an interest. Don't even mention taking the role of shaman or taking her place. Just tell her you're interested—I know you will be."

Jake and I walked back to the central area of Hometree. Most were busy with their days and the smell of cooking waivered into my nose. Jake had left me briefly, said he was going hunting with the other warriors.

"You Normspellman?"

I turned around and found one of the younger Na'vi women looking at me. She had a wide set of the typical large yellow eyes and several beaded necklaces around her neck.

"Yes? You speak English?"

"Little English," She said and touched my arm, "You dreamwalker?"

"I was a dreamwalker, yes. Not anymore."

"Jakesully dreamwalker, too."

"He _was_," I said, trying to get her to understand, "But not anymore."

"You _stranger_," She said, putting her hands up and touching my face, "Eywa allow…change?"

She was very difficult to understand. Her English was broken and the dialect unusual. I changed to Na'vi, hoping that maybe speaking in her own language would help her to understand.

"What is your name?"

"Mei'Rae," She inclined her face, looking at me and inhaled, "You know our language?"

"I was taught the language, much like Grace had been."

"Grace was a good person. She did not deserve to die."

"I agree."

"But Grace was still a dreamwalker, like you. You may have made the change, but you will always be only a dreamwalker. You will not be one of us."

With that she turned her head and walked away. I was confused, wondering if all the Na'vi felt the same way. How did they feel about Jake? Did they still consider him a dreamwalker, too? He was the chief, so I'm sure she wouldn't bring it up. However, I couldn't help but feel even more out of place and even more distant from the people. I felt eyes on me at dinnertime and saw Mei'Rae looking at me from across our eating area. I elbowed Jake and he looked my way.

"Do you know that girl over there," I asked, gesturing towards her, but trying not to be too obvious, "Her name is Mei'Rae?"

Jake nodded, his face darkening, "Did she say something to you?"

I chewed on my meat and leaned over slightly, "She stopped me out of the blue and seemed very insistent on informing me that I would always be just a dreamwalker and nothing more."

Jake sighed, "She is the intended of Xanos, which is Tsu-Tey's brother. Xanos blames me for Tsu-Tey's death and gossips about the _dreamwalkers_ behind my back. He didn't want me to become chief. He would have been chief if I hadn't become Toruk Makato. He is jealous and Mei is just helping to spread the gossip. Don't let it get to you. They don't all feel that way."

"Are you sure about that?" I muttered, mostly to myself, but Jake nodded.

"I'll introduce you to some Na'vi that I have become close to. They make me feel like part of the tribe and not an outsider. Tomorrow I'll introduce you," He said.


	5. Chapter 5

A big shout out of thanks goes to IchigoPudding, Miss Misa, Southern Coyote, Cricket 5144, Bevoboy 98, art-badger, The Deadly Angel, Dracoess, and Elka2194. I am always so happy to read reviews! I look forward to seeing more. It's always a pleasure to come online and find that so many people like reading my story! So, there seemed to be a few questions regarding chapter 1. I went back and made a few changes. I hope that clears everything up for everybody. Here are the changes I made, just to clarify things.

The war between the Na'vi and humans is over – Na'vi "won". Humans were asked to leave and go back to earth.

Trudy is alive. She ejected herself from her helicopter before impact and suffered only some minor injuries.

Neytiri and Jake went back to the Omaticaya tribe after the war ended. Neytiri seemed to be in good health during the attacks, but began to show signs of internal bleeding a day later. Mo'at had tried to save her, but failed. Neytiri died 3 days later.

Chapter 5

I spent the following week getting to know Jake's friends and trying to find a place among the people. One of his closest friends was Coalt. He was middle aged and seemed to have a big heart, but walked with a noticeable limp. When Jake introduced me, he shook my hand excitedly and gave me a big thump on the back of welcome.

"You will make a fine Na'vi," He told me in their language.

"Thank you, Coalt."

"Coalt's Ikran managed to jump on him when he first became a warrior," Jake said, pointing to his leg, "Of course he bonded with the animal, but will always walk with a limp."

"This old thing won't stop me!" He said with a laugh.

The three of us talked for a while. Coalt seemed to be very friendly and accepted both Jake and I. Jake introduced me to his family, his mate and son. His son, Gael, was one of the young warriors-in-training that would soon be getting an Ikran of his own and seemed youthfully excited about it.

"I've been practicing my swing hold for when I have to grab him," Gael said, showing Jake his swing that would close the mouth of the Ikran.

"That's good, but you have to be more prepared to make the bond than anything else. That's the most important part. You can get his mouth closed and jump on top of him, but none of that matters without the bond. I was about thrown off the cliff my first time around," Jake said and seemed happier than he had been in days.

"When I first met Jake he seemed so awkward. I didn't think he could do it, but look at what he has accomplished now! You have tamed the wild air beast," Coalt said and turned to me, "So will Normspellman be taming any Ikran?"

"Only if he chooses too," Jake said and added, "When he was human he was a scientist and studied and plant life on Pandora. He could help heal-"

"Jake-" I warned him before he could go on and switched to English since it was easier, "I appreciate the sentiment, but really. I don't know that much about it. You shouldn't tell people that."

"Oh lighten up, Norm," Jake said, squeezing my shoulder, "You're great at what you do. Admit it. You deserve to have a little recognition every once in a while. You don't have to be humble _all_ the time!"

Later that day I decided to approach Mo'at about the plants.

"How are you Normspellman?" She asked and I couldn't help but smile at the people's common usage of my whole name.

"I am well, thank you," I replied bowing lightly and sitting across from her, "Life here is so different. I think it may take a while for me to get used to it."

"This is normal," She said simply, "Time will help you."

"I keep thinking back to my human life. I can't help it."

"It is okay to think back, but not okay to want to _go_ back."

I nodded, agreeing and admired some of the beading she had been working on, "That is very beautiful."

"Thank you. It is a gift for Tailina's infant daughter," Mo'at said, picking it up in her aging hands and began to pull the beads through to make a necklace, "You have many skills too."

"Yes, I wanted to talk with you about that actually," I said, finding a good place to bring it up, "When I was on base I studied plant life. The plants on Pandora are so different from earth, where I come from. The species of plant life is so diverse. It is amazing to me how the ecosystem here works so well and can almost communicate with the other plants-"

"Eywa," She interrupted, "It is Eywa."

"Erm, yes," I said and continued, "Would it be alright if I studied some of your plants. I would like to collect some for observation."

She quirked a half smile and nodded, "Yes, on one condition. If you take plants, take only the required amount and thank Eywa for the gift. I know it will help many people."

"I will. I will do that. Thank you, Mo'at," I said, getting a little excited at doing some more research. It would help me feel more at home, "I'm going to go tell Jake."

She smiled and had a little bit of twinkle in her eye. I gave another little half bow and left her quarter, eager to hunt down Jake and tell him the news. I walked around for several minutes, looking for the familiar red and orange colored necklace that labeled him as chief. I found him shortly after practicing hitting a stationary target with his bow and arrow. I watched him for a moment. He was the only one around. It just amazed me at how well he had blended into their lives. He was so skilled at so many different things. I watched him shoot and he hit almost dead center.

I interrupted his thoughts a moment later, "Jake! I talked to Mo'at. She has allowed me to collect some plant and tree samples around Hometree."

"Really? That's great. You were always so into that stuff," He said, putting his arrow down and motioning me over, "I'm glad that you and Mo'at get along. I think it would be even more difficult if you didn't."

"This _is_ hard Jake. I never thought that being accepted would be so hard. I look like them and speak their language, but I still can't help but feel out of place. How do you do it?"

He faltered and rubbed at his slightly flattened blue nose before leaning up against a nearby tree, "It's _not_ easy for me. I'm glad it looks easy. I try to make it seem that way, but it's incredibly hard."

"What do you mean?"

He pulled his braid over his shoulder and messed with the bottom of it, "These things I did for the tribe, I didn't think twice about doing. It just seemed like the right thing at the time. I didn't ask to be Toruk Makato and I didn't ask to be chief. It just sort of happened."

"But it's that every Na'vi's dream?" I said, joining him and leaning against the same large tree.

He gave a little shrug, "I suppose, but sometimes I still have a hard time considering myself Na'vi. I guess I feel a little like you. I look like them, talk like them, and even can act like them, but there's still a part of me that's human. I might be just talking casually to somebody and might accidentally slip into some human slang or make a motion they don't understand, like a thumbs up. I don't even realize I'm doing it sometimes, but when I do, they notice right away and every time they are reminded of whom I used to be. That is the hardest part. I wish I could just stop thinking like a human and start thinking like a Na'vi."

"But you have already."

"I suppose. But, that's why I'm glad you're here. You understand me like they never will. Our lives are so similar now."

"I'm glad you're here too. Can you imagine how lost I would be surrounded with all the Na'vi and not knowing anyone?" I said with a little laugh.

"That would be me only a few months ago," He replied and nodded.

He leaned over slightly and grasped my elbow, his thumb running over the skin, "I'm truly glad you're here Norm. It's good to have a friend, here."

I paused and looked into his eyes. He smiled deeply and moved his hand from my elbow to my neck. I stiffened suddenly at the strange display of affection. He removed his hand right away, noting my uncertainty and looking a bit embarrassed himself.

"Well, I should probably be getting back," I lied.

"Yeah…I should keep practicing," He said, taking a few steps away and picking up his bow.

"I'll see you later," I said and hesitated before saying, "It was good to talk to you."

I hurried back to the camp, as the sun was already beginning to set. The trees and ground turned darker, but there was always the day-glo coloring that glowed in the distance. I looked up, watching the unusual birds fly to their nests for the night. The sky was painted purple and blue with a tinge of pink to the south. Pandora was so beautiful at night. I ran back, my footfalls making the giant trees shimmer neon green.

I had to think about this conversation I had with Jake. The words we said were normal and actually quite helpful to my situation. I never knew Jake had harbored such feelings of unease. I always assumed he was so confident in his situation as the chief. I should have known better. But, when he touched me, his eyes told more. They spoke of things unsaid, his pain of losing Neytiri, his confusion of his new status, his thankfulness of me being in the picture. And maybe even a little more that I couldn't yet comprehend.

It was such a beautiful night that I decided to stop and take a few samples along the way. I pulled off only a small amount of leaves from the trees I was interested in and put them in a small satchel tied to my waist. I said my blessings of thanks to Eywa for the gift and moved on to some other flowers. The plants were actually easier to identify by night because they seemed to glow in the reflection of the planet we revolved around.

I came back to camp later on. Jake was already there and seemed to be looking for me.

"Where were you?" He asked, clearly concerned.

"I was taking samples. Mo'at said it was fine-"

"Just don't go into the forest alone at night. It's not safe," He said and held onto his bow, "I'll come with you next time."

"I don't need your protection, Jake," I argued.

"Would you like the company then?" He asked.

"Alright," I agreed, a bit annoyed to be chastened by the chief of the clan.

Jake noticed the small bag at my hip and took an interest, "So, tell me. What did you find?"

"You wouldn't be interested."

He rolled his eyes, a very human gesture and raised an eyebrow, "I _am_ interested. Come here, grab some food and show me what you found."

I hesitated, but finally agreed. I was offered some Pandoran style fruit, similar to a cantaloupe, and some meat that had been stored from yesterday. One of the women made Jake and I a tea mix and I took it with me. I followed him to his chief's quarters, which was actually smaller than Mo'at's, and sat down on the floor. He left the curtain open a bit to let in some light and bit into his fruit.

I put my food aside and cautiously opened up my small brown bag. I sat back on my heels and leaned over, carefully pulling out each of the plant leaves and arranging them onto the dirt floor of the enclosure.

"This is from the Sandor plant. It is the one with the big pink flowers. The flowers are beautiful, but it's the leaves that can actually be used to create a salve to put on wounds. And this…_this_ is from it's sister plant, the Haboro plant, which can be taken orally to help calm the stomach. And this thing with the tiny spikes-" I continued talking, showing Jake each and every one of the plants.

Jake listened politely and even asked a few questions. I looked up once and saw him smiling wryly.

"You're in your element," He said.

I shrugged modestly, "I'm just a plant guy."

"You're a plant guy in your element," He said waving his hand over the plants and patting my shoulder, "You just love to talk about them, always have."

"Well, it is what I love."

"It's good to see something that makes you happy."

"It's not that I'm unhappy, Jake. I don't want you to think that. I'm glad to be here. The people are so interesting, but live such quaint lives. I think they're fascinating."

"Hmm," He quipped his lip and smiled, "That must be the scientist in you."

"I suppose," I looked at him, still amazed at how we somehow managed to keep our human features in our human body, "Do you ever think you'll find someone after Neytiri?"

He seemed put off by the sudden question, "I don't know Norm. I don't think about it too much. It's just—too fresh."

"I understand," I said and patted his back awkwardly; "If you ever want to talk about it…I'm always here."

"Thanks."

"Well, I'm getting kinda tired. I think I'll head in for the night," I said, gathering up the leaves and carefully placing them back in the sachet.

"Oh, alright," He said, standing up in the small space, "Well goodnight then."

"'Night Jake."

I was planning on leaving and at least pretending to go to sleep. But I just stood there dumbly staring at him. I felt like our conversation wasn't over. We still had so much to talk about. I knew I had a long life ahead of me as Na'vi to talk about it, but there was still just so much to say. I nodded awkwardly, pulled the curtain open a bit and took a few steps outside. I turned back moments later and he stood looking rather dejected near the entranceway. I chewed on my lip, offered a half wave, and whispered "goodnight" into the wind.


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you guys for the reviews. I love reading them. I had a couple of reviewers make a comment about grammar mistakes in the story. I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. Word typically picks up any spelling mistakes and I don't have a beta. If you could point mistakes out to me if you find them, I would appreciate it. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Mo'at had taken me deeper into the forest the following day. She brought me to a valley where unusual plants grew. My first thought was to run, jump, and gather those amazing, un-researched plants and take them back to study them. Mo'at simply shook her head and took my wrist and guided me to a large tree with completely blue leaves that swayed and touched the ground similar to a weeping willow found on earth.

"Sit," She instructed in English.

I followed her heed and joined her on the ground.

"I show you. Make tsahaylu with this tree," She said.

I raised an eyebrow, thinking it was extremely strange to make a bond with a tree. Jake had told me about the Tree of Souls and how our memories are gathered there, but this was not a Tree of Souls. I faltered for a moment. It would be the first time bonding to anything. Mo'at attached her braid to one of the many glowing, pulsating roots at the tip of the tree and closed her eyes.

I lifted my braid, looking again at the unusual tendrils attached to the bottom. I let them attach to the root and I inhaled deeply. I suddenly saw color fly by my eyes and felt…feelings, an intense amount of emotion. I felt sadness, hope, and a certain desire to teach come flying at me at once. I pulled away, overwhelmed by the emotions I found there. She placed her hand upon my own and shook her head.

"Do not be afraid," She said, reverting to Na'vi, her eyes upon me, "I feel your fear Normspellman. I feel many things. Many feelings."

"What is this tree? Is this a Tree of Souls?" I asked, already knowing better.

"No, this is Tree of Trust," She said, "This tree shares feelings. This tree is swotu, a sacred place. What you feel are my emotions—no one else's. This is how it is different from the Tree of Souls. The Tree of Souls contains memories, but these are feelings."

"This is strange," I said and looked at her, feeling a sudden emotion coming up higher, "You are…reluctant about something. You are…"

"Very good Normspellman."

"You feel it is almost your time."

"Yes, my end of life is near. I am not reluctant about dying. I am reluctant about leaving you so soon. There is so much for you to learn."

I shook my head slightly, pulling my braid away from the tree and pulling it back over my shoulder, "Why haven't I heard of this tree before?"

"Not all Na'vi know of it. If all knew of it, nothing would be private. Everyone would know everything. It must be kept secret, Normspellman. It is secret of the shaman and can only be shared with their mate."

"What are you telling me, Mo'at?" I asked, sensing much more to that statement.

She smiled serenely and pulled her own braid away, petting it slightly and putting her slightly bony hand on my shoulder, "You already know."

I didn't already know, actually. I assumed that she wanted me to be shaman. I wasn't sure why she had to hide her true meaning though. Everything she said seemed to be in a jig saw puzzle. She had been teaching me the last few days about ways of a shaman. She showed me their herbs that they used as medicine. We spoke much about Eywa and the gift of life. I was beginning to have more and more respect for the Na'vi as the time went on. I was learning so much more than I could have imagined.

Mo'at's rather foggy descriptions left me in the dark. We had gone back to the clan in a comfortable silence. Jake was already there. He had his back to me and was working with the other hunters to bring in a fresh kill.

"Wow," I said, admiring the huge animal that had been hit with a bow, "Somebody has good aim."

Jake turned around and grinned, "Norm! Good to see you…and that good aim was me."

"Really?" I said, impressed, "That's really something."

The animal they had killed was lying hunched over with a yellow bow stuck out of the side. It was navy blue with stripes and sharp outer skin for protection.

"They're fast," He said with a nod, "I almost didn't get this one."

The women had started to cut open the animal and prepare the meat already. They didn't like for any of it to be wasted and expected all edible parts of the animal to be eaten.

"So, did Mo'at take you out today again?" Jake asked, while we were eating.

"She showed me more plants," I lied, knowing I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the tree for their own safety.

"She knows a _lot_ of plants," Jake replied, stuffing another piece of meat in his mouth and wiping his forehead, "I think I'm going to go take a swim. Care to join me?"

I agreed to accompany Jake for his swim. I followed him quickly through the forest, weaving along the thick brush and then across uneven branches. He moved extremely fast and I had a difficult time keeping up.

"Come on slow poke!" I heard him laugh from further up.

He turned around briefly, hanging on a loose vine and looked at me, "You need to get out more or you're going to put on weight."

He touched his stomach and imitated a fat person. He doubled over laughing at his own antics and I finally caught up, struggling to catch my breath. I paused, putting my hands to my knees and shook my head once.

"Na'vi…don't….get…._fat_," I managed to say, finally straightening up.

"Heh, we'll see about that," He laughed again and beckoned me with a wave of his hand, "Come on, follow me!"

I rolled my eyes and went on running. I could hear his footfalls somewhere farther along this particular tree and watched the whiz of colors pass by me.

"Catch me if you can!" He taunted.

I suddenly became caught up in the moment, watching his braid whip back and forth and his tail leverage for balance. He was still laughing at me, but it held no malice, only happiness. I could feel my stomach muscles clenching and leg muscles tightening as we ran deeper into the forest.

When I finally did catch up to him, it was only because he had stopped and looked out at a glistening lake. The sun shined brightly upon it and it sparkled in the light. He had to jump down a bit to get to it and was already starting to walk knee deep into the cool, inviting waters. I followed him, pushing him around and he just continued to laugh.

"Caught you," I said, grinning and gave him a little push into the water.

He casually wrapped an arm around my neck, forcing me farther into the water and then splashing me. His smile changed from giddy to serene a moment later and the grip on my neck turned less rough and more gentle. I felt the skin of my upper back tingle as his fingers grazed my neck. He leaned closer, his other hand on my chin. He lifted my head up slightly and closed in on the move just as quickly, I felt his breath hover close to mine and his lips grazed mine. I shook out of my momentary trace and took an awkward step back, almost falling backwards into the water.

"Jake-"

He pulled back immediately, noticing my hesitation.

"…Skxawng-"

Jake put his hand on his temple and shook his head frantically. I ran my mind through the Na'vi dictionary and quickly came to the conclusion. I took a sudden step forward and put my hand on his chest, giving him a rough push.

"Don't call me a moron! You're the one that kissed me. I didn't ask for it!"

He gave me an odd look.

"I didn't call _you_ a moron. I called _myself_ a moron," He sighed and rubbed his neck shyly, "I'm sorry Norm. I don't know why the hell I did that. I'm the skxawng, not you. I don't know what I was fucking _thinking_."

He cleared his throat and looked away, clearly embarrassed. I furrowed my brows and suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks. This friendship that we have was clearly turning into something much more. I wasn't sure if it's what I wanted, but whatever it was felt right. I felt closer to him than I had to any other person in a long time. We were both silent for a moment, trying to process current events. I finally came to a conclusion.

"I wasn't complaining."

"You _weren't_?"

"I was…surprised, to say the last. I didn't think…I'm not sure what that even was."

"It was a kiss."

I rolled my eyes at his dumbness.

"You _are_ a skxawng," I said with a little smile. I sobered a moment, "Was that a mistake or did you mean to do that?"

He paused, clearly thinking, "I wouldn't call it a mistake. It just sort of—happened."

I took a step forward, my arms grazing the water. I lifted one hand and put my hand on his cheek. I looked deep into his large golden eyes and put my other hand around his back, pulling him closer. He looked confused, but allowed it.

"What if it were to happen again?" I asked.

He sputtered for a moment, trying to find an answer, but clearly not finding anything. I closed the short distance between our mouths again and deepened the kiss that had been lost only moments before. The moment we kissed it felt right. There wasn't any hesitation. The confusion came later. But, for this moment, I was just lost in bliss. He cupped the back of my head, pulling me closer and our chests pressed together. He moaned softly and I closed my eyes. It was over a moment later.

We paused and pressed our foreheads together.

"I feel more comfortable with you than I have ever felt," Jake whispered.

"Is this what you want?" I asked him, putting my head up and sucking on my lip.

He leaned over and kissed me again. I knew I wouldn't need _any_ more answers to that question.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you so much for the reviews. I really enjoy reading them. I'm so happy you like this. When I was watching the movie for the first time, I couldn't help but wonder what was happening to Norm all the time. I had all these dirty little thoughts going on in my head like "Why doesn't Norm go exploring with Jake," and other things like "I wonder what Norm would look like in a loincloth. Hmmm." And so this story kind of came out of those funny little thoughts.

As for the fast updates—I'll try to keep them up as long as I can. As a reader myself, I know how important fast updates can be to maximize the flow of the story. Enjoy another chapter!

Chapter 7

"You need to learn how to use this," Jake said suddenly one afternoon, gesturing towards his bow and arrow.

I shook my head, "You know I will have horrible aim. I wouldn't be a good hunter."

"Perhaps not for hunting," He said and jumped up and walked to the edge of the central tree trunk, where the clan's home was, "More for protection."

I put down my beadwork back into the wicker basket and got up, slowly approaching him from behind. I followed his gaze out into the sky of Pandora. It was hot today, very hot and I could feel the perspiration beginning to bead up on my skin. Jake seemed adamant to just stare out, watching the large trees sway with the hot wind and looking at the waterfall and then at the lake we swam at only days before.

"Protection from what?" I asked, putting a hand out, "The war is over."

"I know," He agreed, sniffling slightly and then his golden eyes turned towards me, "I just have a feeling... Anyway, it'll be good for you to know. All the other men in the tribe know how to use the bow and arrow, whether they're warriors or hunters or just more general builders or gatherers. It's a common thing. I can teach you how. It's not too difficult."

"Alright," I said, taking a step back off the steep edge, "If that's what you want to do."

Jake and I spent the next day or so teaching me how to use the bow and arrow. I borrowed his for the time being and showed me how to aim correctly. He told me stories of how Neytiri had first taught him.

"She was so strict," He said with a laugh and then exhaled a rather pent up breath, "She wanted me to look good. She wanted me to impress the others."

I tried again, aiming at my target, which happened to be a large, brown tarp strung between two trees. It had a circle made of dye in the middle with a bulls eye in the center. Jake said later we would attempt to kill an actual animal, but for now I needed to practice. I always thought using the bow seemed to come so natural to the Na'vi. I was finding out the hard way that it was _not_ as easy as it looked.

"You miss her…Neytiri I mean. I can see it in your eyes," I said after a moment or two.

He was silent for a while, but eventually responded, "The Na'vi do not encourage grieving at the time of a death. I have such a hard time with this. I mean, she just died less than a month ago. I know life must go on, but sometimes I miss her so much. Other forms of emotions are encouraged, like happiness, anger, even love. But they do not encourage grieving. Their philosophy is once a person dies they will go with Eywa and basically you must go on with your life and not let the death affect you. This is so hard to do."

"What about during the wars? I know many of the women cried after that, even Mo'at. I've seen her crying by herself a few times. She turns away and pretends she's fine, but I know better than that."

"They would consider the war casualties _special circumstance_."

"What? Just because Neytiri died a few days later, she's not considered a war casualty?"

He sighed and backed up, "I don't know."

"They should change their philosophy," I said, a bit angry.

I aimed once more for the target and shot very close to the big, black dot. Jake looked on and seemed to be in somewhat of a trance.

"Jake?"

"It's déjà vu," He mumbled to himself, "And you're almost ready."

I had no idea what he was talking about and continued to practice.

The following day, Jake woke me early. I was startled out of sleep to find a brand new bow and arrow set thrown on top of me me, even before dawn. I opened my eyes wide, and looked at him.

"Let's get going."

I stretched and crawled out of the hammock. I relieved myself quickly, grabbed some bread and followed him out. I expected him to walk, but he stopped at a pa'li and threw a few things on top of it. He made tsahaylu and jumped on the animal's back. He looked down and me and gestured for me to join him.

"I thought we would walk," I said, standing their nervously with nothing but my bow and arrow.

"Not today. We're going somewhere different. It's too far to walk."

I nodded and grabbed his hand. He pulled me on the direhorse and I struggled to find a balance, eventually grabbing him around the waist for support. He turned back and had a grin on his face.

"Comfy?"

"Not really-"

He took off before I could finish the sentence, going down Hometree and into the forest. The people were mostly still asleep and I was glad that no one had noticed us going off together. The Pandoran crickets chirped loudly in the early morning and the sun was just creeping up over the sky. I increased my grasp around Jake's waist and shuffled a bit to get closer. He turned his head slightly, probably feeling my breath on his neck, but didn't say anything.

"Here we are," He said, instructing his pa'li to stop and looking out, "This is where you can find the best hunting around."

I didn't make any move to get off the horse, but instead moved one of my hands slightly up his chest and rested completely against his back. I heard him sigh and turn his head. I lay my head next to his and he leaned back to kiss me. His lips moved sensually against my own and he pulled back a moment later, watching me with half opened eyes.

"That was nice," He said softly.

The direhorse took a few steps forward and backward, tired of having to wait. I took the cue and slid to the ground. Jake followed seconds later. Thoughts of the kiss were gone for a while as Jake tip toed past some foliage. I followed slowly, careful not to make any unwanted attention. I saw the animal he intended me to kill standing only a few feet away. It was one I had not studied intently and its name was lost upon me.

"Si'ran," He whispered gesturing to the animal. He crouched in the shadows and looked in my direction, "Go on."

I nodded, pulling my bow and then arrows out from the strap on my back. I held the arrow cautiously in my hands, waiting for the right time. The animal was dark gray, round, but not very tall. It was munching quite loudly on some grass on the ground and hadn't even noticed us. I concentrated, hearing nothing but the animal and seeing nothing but the Si'ran. I lifted up elbow up slightly and let the arrow loose.

"You got it!" Jake said loudly, scaring off any other hunting opportunities and running over a few rocks and logs to get to the animal, "Good shot."

I knelt down next to the animal, seeing it whimper in fear and pain. The arrow hit at a good spot, near the upper abdomen. I did as Jake had showed me, saying a brief prayer of thanks and ending the animal's knife with a small knife. I lifted my head to see Jake beaming at me.

"See, now you are a hunter!"

I made a face, shaking my head.

"You killed it and we're going to eat it for dinner," He said, pulling my bloody arrow out and handing it back to me. I wiped it off and sheathed it back onto my strap, putting away my weapons. He lifted the animal and grunted. I'm sure the animal was heavy. Jake took a few awkward steps back to the direhorse.

"Here," He said, shoving the animal into my arms, while he got onto the horse.

I hefted it around for a moment or so and then handed it to Jake, so I could get on behind him.

"Ugh, I feel smelly," I mumbled, not even really wanting to touch him after having dried blood on my hands.

"All in a day's work," He said happily, taking off at a more casual speed this time.

I still ended up wrapping my arms around him and resting my head against his shoulder like last time. We rode silently for a while and I felt his hand gently touch my thigh.

"Are you asleep?" He whispered.

"Huh? No," I replied, lifting my head.

"We're almost there. You should probably jump down," He said.

I slid off the back of the horse and he handed me the dead animal. I walked into Hometree, proudly carrying my kill and Jake followed on his horse.

"Did you kill that Si'ran?" Gael asked as I passed.

I nodded and grinned.

"Very good, Normspellman," He said with a smile and nod.

I delivered the carcass over to the men and women who prepared the meals. They were happy to have something to prepare to eat, but still very wary of me. I just nodded nervously and left.

I caught up to Jake a little while later.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to cool off, clean up, and maybe go take a swim."

I followed Jake back out into the forest and then jumped behind him on the pa'li. We arrived at the small, glistening lake shortly after. The water was exceptionally cool and drifted down my hot back in warm tendrils as I slowly walked in. I had grabbed a few supplies before we left, including some eucalyptus soap and reed lotion for my calloused hands. I began to wash the sweat and blood off my body.

Later, Jake and I played in the water. We roughhoused, me pushing him into the deep and him dunking me in return. Luckily, I was a good swimmer and could outswim him at any cost. He would laugh and throw huge waves of water my way. He came up beside me and I jumped out of the way, thinking me would drunk me again. Instead he wrapped both of his arms around my neck and I looked into his startling yellow eyes.

His lips found mine and we kissed passionately, his tongue snaking into my mouth. I suckled on it greedily and then we broke softly as he looked into my eyes. He leaned forward again, sucking on my bottom lip and pressing his hand against my ass, moving and kneading it there. He picked up my tail and caressed the long, blue appendage. I was beginning to get hard and leaned against him, but really surprised to find that he was, also. I wrapped one arm around his back and the other cradled his hand. I raked my hands through his dark hair and closed my eyes, relishing in the kiss.

He pulled away suddenly, his breath coming quickly, "We shouldn't do this here."

"What do you mean?" I asked, thinking that this must be what he wanted.

He cupped my cheek and ran his other hand over my chest, tweaking my nipples and kissing me again.

"If we do this we must do it right," He whispered, pressing his nose against mine. He held me close and asked, "Do you want to do this, Norm?"

"Yes," I replied without hesitation, kissing him back once quickly.

"Let's go to the Tree of Souls," He suggested, already retreating back to where we had come from. I caught up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait. I have a better idea."


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you guys for the reviews! They're especially awesome! Sorry for the cliffy! I'm hoping it was worth the wait! HeHe!

Chapter 8

I grasped Jake's hand and took him through the forest. I didn't tell him where we were going. I only led the way. He seemed confused, but didn't object to me taking the lead. We passed a few exotic plants and a few more frightened animals. I didn't stop to watch. I squeezed his hand and he followed. After a few minutes he finally spoke up.

"But the Tree of Souls is-"

"We're not going to the Tree of Souls," I explained, but did not go on further.

I jumped over a large fallen tree and continued deeper into the forest. It took a few calculations to get it right but I eventually found the Tree of Trust. I stood before it and Jake gaped at me. The long azure leaves swayed in the breeze and the tree seemed to have a life of its own.

"Wow. I didn't know there was anything like this," Jake said, his hand caressing the long petals of the tree, "How did _you_ know? Was this from your research?"

I shook my head, "No. Mo'at showed me. It was from my training. It is called the Tree of Trust."

I looked up, seeing the long tendrils of the plant falling down all around us, the blue glistened all around us, lighting up what would otherwise had been a darkening sky.

"I can't believe I didn't know about this. It's just as amazing as the Tree of Souls," He said.

"The Tree of Souls is full of memories, Jake, but this isn't the Tree of Souls," I explained, reaching for the braid and making the bond. I didn't feel anything at first, but then I felt a sense of calm, peacefulness as I had no worries on my mind, "Make the bond, Jake and you will see."

He glanced at me, probably wondering how I knew all of this, since I wasn't even an official member of the tribe yet. He lifted his braid and made the neural bond with the tree. I watched his initial shock and he looked at me, surprised and confused.

"I feel…I feel…"

"You feel me."

"Yes," Jake said, suddenly, amazed, "I feel what you feel."

"This is how this tree is different from the Tree of Souls. We can feel each other's emotions," I explained, feeling his excitement at this new piece of information. I patted my satchel and pulled out something wrapped in cloth and tied with a cord, "Here, this is for you."

He looked down at it and then at me. A sudden comprehension crept into his eyes and he was suddenly shoving something into my own hands, "And _this_ is for you."

"You…got me something too?" I asked.

He nodded, already opening his gift. I paused with his, watching him open the beautiful, intricately beaded necklace, "Wow."

I shrugged slightly, "It's just a little something. I know you already have a lot, since you're the chief. But, if you could just find a place for it-"

He shushed me, leaning over to kiss me and I felt the passion through our bond, "No, I love it. Of course I can find a place for it."

Jake reached underneath his braid and tied the necklace onto his neck. It shown like a diamond against the neutral colors of his chief symbols.

"Open yours."

I pushed the wrappings away to find leather straps painted bright red. I must have looked confused for a moment.

"Mo'at gave me the materials," He said, taking them from me and putting his hand on my arm. He began tying the bright leather straps around my upper arms, "She said you would look naked without them."

"You made these?" I asked as he leaned close to me to finish tying them.

"Yes. The red symbolizes the shaman. Have you noticed Mo'at always wears red?"

"Oh Jake…"

He put a big smile on and gave a little funny movement, "I, Jake Sully, welcome thee Norm Spellman into the Omaticaya tribe as our current Shaman."

I pulled away, "I can't be the Shaman. Mo'at-"

"This is what she wants. She told me. She said she's ready to retire, but in not so many words. Why do you think she's been teaching you? Why do you think she brought you here? She intends for us to mate. And only the chief can initiate the shaman. So, I choose you, Norm."

My breathing increased and I couldn't help the sudden tears that showed up in my eyes, "Choose me? For what? For the shaman? For your mate?"

"Both," He said.

"What about Neytiri?" I whispered, "You can't just…forget about her."

"I'll _never_ forget Neytiri. She showed a whole new world to me. She showed a whole new world that I was meant to be a part of," He explained gently, "But you are not Neytiri. You are Norm Spellman. You are my best friend. I've known you even longer than I've known Neytiri. You understand me. We knew each other, before, as humans. We've shared so much together. Now, I want us to share even more."

"Okay, Jake."

"Okay, what?"

"Okay to all of it!" I said giving a small laugh and cupping his cheek, "All of it…"

We kissed again, passionately and stumbled backwards. My hair came with me and I suddenly lost the connection. I winced at the sudden loss of contact and frowned. The feelings that came with the bond were so strong. I wish there was another way-

"Jake, is it possible to make tsahaylu with another person?"

He paused and took a deep breath before nodding, "Yes, it is what they call 'mating before Eywa'. Your minds become one."

"And is this what _you_ want?" I asked him.

"Yes," He said simply, kissing me again and reaching out to grab my braid. The tendrils made the connection and there was nothing and no one else. There was only Jake. There was only his smile, only his laugh, only his thoughts, feelings and emotions.

He wrapped his arms around me, kissing me passionately, his mouth moving down to my neck, suckling and leaving a small wet trail. We somehow ended up on the ground and he wavered over me. His hands were everywhere, exploring and touching. I couldn't stop the sudden tingling chill that ran up my spine. He pressed kisses against my stomach and his hand stopped at the tie on my loincloth. He questioned me with his eyes and I nodded.

He opened my loincloth and gently pulled it down, off my tail and laid it on the ground. I did the same with his and admired his long, blue cock.

"Ooohhh…feels good," I whispered as he pressed his erection against mine.

His emotions were clear through our bond. He wanted me. There was no question about it. I was also surprised to find feelings of love, admiration, trust, floating through there also. I put my hand to the side, where my loin cloth and satchel had been laid to rest. I pulled the satchel close and Jake stared at me. I found the small bottle of lotion and pressed it into his hand. He frowned and cocked his head.

"You knew…" He said, "You knew this would happen?"

"I hoped," I said, pulling his head down to kiss him.

He prepared me tenderly, pressing his fingers into my opening. I winced slightly from the unusual pressure, but quickly got used to the stretching. He wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me up slightly. I draped my legs around his waist and he pressed forward. The feeling was so overwhelming. I was experiencing my emotions, as well as his. The bond was practically pulsating as the leaves glowed around us. I could feel my own pleasures, both physically and emotionally. It was so unlike any other lovemaking I ever had. It felt so right.

We found a rhythm and he pressed his forehead against mine. His breathing was shallow and quick and he reached his climax after only a few minutes. He arched and cried out my name in the night. I followed closely, clutching at his shoulders and pressing my mouth against his neck. We fell into each other's arms when it was over.

I propped myself over him and looked down at his parted mouth and half-rimmed eyes.

"You're mine now," I whispered, running my hand over his warm forehead, "Oel ngati kameie*, Jake."

"Oel ngati kameie. And you're mine in return," He said with a smile, grasping my hand tightly, "We are muntxa, mated."

We lay in each other's arms for a long while and eventually Jake raised his head slightly, "We should probably go back before they send out a search party."

I grinned and laughed, "That would be something."

We laughed, kissed and eventually got up, fastened our loincloths and packed our few things. Jake touched the tree as we left, almost as if he was thanking it, or perhaps thanking Eywa. We moved through the forest hand in hand, almost forgetting about everything else-if just for a moment.

A sudden commotion in the forest startled us and we dropped out clasped hands. We looked up, looked around and looked down, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from.

"It's pa'li," Jake said, finally settling on one direction and turning towards me in alarm, "Narisi*, Norm! Narisi!"

I took a step backwards, alarmed at the sudden cry of warning, but it was too late. A rope swung around my feet and I fell head first into the forest screaming all the way and eventually ended slamming roughly against the ground. I clutched my head and saw my vision blur before my eyes. The noises sounded muffled and far away. The only one I could connect with was Jake's, who was calling my name desperately. I lost complete consciousness only a moment later.

* * *

*Oel ngati kameie – I See You

*Narisi – Watch Out, Danger


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you guys for the reviews! It's so nice to see you're enjoying this! And the plot thickens!!

Chapter 9

I awoke only minutes later to find myself being roughly dragged through the forest. My head felt like it was going to explode and I'm sure there would be a huge bump there later on. There were warriors on each side of me, carrying me by my upper arms and letting my knees and feet drag on the ground. The moment I came back into complete consciousness, I started fighting again. The one to my left was Ski'ra, who was a close friend of Xanos', and on the other side was one I wasn't at all familiar with.

"Ugh! What are you _doing_?" I yelled in English, trying to pull away.

The one to my left cursed, and grabbed my arm in an even rougher grip. The other muttered something in Na'vi and mentioned "dreamwalker" in his sentence and then grabbed the end of my braid, pulling unnecessarily roughly on hair, snapping my head to the side.

I tried to look behind me to see where Jake was, but he seemed to be further up. He was speaking with them rapidly in Na'vi and didn't seem to be winning at all. Eventually they forced him down onto the ground and tied his hands behind his back.

"What of these dreamwalkers?" Ski'ra asked, motioning to Xanos who was restraining Jake.

"Eywa will decide," He responded, pulling Jake up and grapping hold of him similar as they had done to me, "We will hold a meeting."

"We didn't do anything wrong. What is wrong with you? I demand that you left me go. I am your olo'eyktan*-"

Jake was roughly hit across the face, his head whipping to the side. His head hung down for a moment and when he looked up there was such an expression of confusion and betrayal on his face.

"You are no olo'eyktan. You _never_ were," Xanos hissed and pulled us into camp.

Once we were back at camp, people came to stare and watch. I could feel Jake's humiliation just radiating off of him. He looked at me and looked completely lost. He had a discoloring wound on his face that was leaking blood.

"What is going on here?" Mo'at said as soon as we were brought forward.

"Do not worry, Mo'at. We have this under control," Xanos said, almost completely bypassing her.

She stepped in front o f him and blocked the way to the meeting hall, "You have our olo'eyktan tied up. Why?"

"Mei'Rae followed them into the forest," He said, straightening up, but still holding tightly onto Jake, "She saw them together."

Mei'Rae stepped forward and hissed slightly at Jake. He bared his teeth at her and struggled in his captor's arms. She stood near Mo'at and began speaking.

"Mo'at, he has replaced all of us. First he replaced Eytucan and when Tsu'Tey went with Eywa, he replaced him as well. But he didn't stop there, Tsahik*."

Xanos left Jake in the care of another warrior and stepped forward, "He then replaced Neytiri with this…filth! And look at Normspellman now, Tsahik. Now, they are trying to replace you."

Xanos spat out my name and then walked over, grabbing at my shaman leathers Jake had so tenderly put on only hours ago. He ripped them off my arms, causing them both to rip and fall carelessly to the dirt ground.

"That's not _true_!" Jake argued, struggling, "I'm not trying to replace _anyone_. I'm sorry so many people passed away during the wars, but I did not cause that. I-"

Xanos lunged over to him with a knife. I screamed and Jake jumped back. I expected to see my mate's life end before me, but Xanos roughly cut at the tie that held Jake's chief jewelry together. The long painted wood strips with attached feathers fell to the ground. The gift I gave him went with it, the beads shattering all over the ground.

"You will never be chief," Xanos said, pushing Jake away.

I tried desperately to think of something to say, something to _do_. I knew Xanos had deep hatred for Jake and for dreamwalkers in general. There was no telling what he might to do Jake.

I tried to think of something to do or something to say that might help us out of this mess. I suddenly thought of something. It may have not been the right thing, but it was the only thing that could save us at that time.

"We are mated before Eywa," I said suddenly, my eyes on Mo'at, who really didn't look that surprised; "You can't _touch_ him."

Xanos came over at me quickly and I recoiled.

"Xanos, leave him be," Mo'at said, stepping down and coming closer, "Mated before Eywa? Is this true?"

"It wasn't the Tree of Souls. It only counts if-" Mei'Rae immediately started arguing.

"Tree of Trust," I said, picking my head up, "It does count. It _does_ count…"

Xanos and the other warriors roughly released me. I stood up on shaky legs, feeling an intense headache surfacing and looked on. So many people were gathered to watch. Even Jake's so called "friends" looked on, but said nothing in order to prevent what was happening.

"Eywa would never allow such kawng*," Xanos said, twisting his head to the side.

"She allowed it. What we have is swok*. Don't speak ill of something Eywa allowed," Jake said, finally pulling out of the rough hold and stood up straight. Even without all the elaborate decorations, he was still chief and his tone and actions spoke it.

"You have degraded the Omaticaya with your evils," Ski'ra added, encouraging the flame to continue.

"First you come and invade the people, settle upon our lands. Then you decide you want to _be_ one of us and attempt to take on our forms. If that wasn't enough you mated with our princess, killed our _two_ chiefs, and then replaced all of them. You should be dead! And then to mate with this dreamwalker—you are supposed to be mated for life! You have replaced Neytiri," Xanos said and I finally had the opportunity to edge closer to Jake.

"I would have been mated to life with Neytiri if she were with us today. You refused to find alternate care for her. If the humans had seen to her, she may as well have been alive. But you and your 'followers' refused help. You're bitter over Tsu'Tey's death and are taking it out on us-"

I watched in horror as Xanos slapped him again. Jake was hit hard enough so that he fell down backwards. I quickly jumped to his aide.

"Pitiful," Xanos said, pulling out his knife and coming closer to us.

"Narisi!" Mo'at yelled, "I'm sorry…I didn't foresee _this_."

No one tried to prevent the attack. They just all stood by the rumors, watching what could have been another unnecessary casualty. Jake jumped up just in time, pulling me along by the wrist.

"Come on-"

We started running through the forest and I could hear the hoofbeats of the pa'li following closely behind us. Jake made a high call in the back of his throat, apparently calling his Ikran. His hand never left mine as he pulled me deeper into the forest. The Pa'li had difficulty jumping over this area considering the amount of foliage and hills of the land. Jake and I could change course quicker than the pa'li and before we knew it, we were suddenly in the lead. We ran and ran. I didn't know where to. Before I knew it there was a cliff in front of us. I stopped quickly, my feet pressed firmly into the dirt. I barely stopped from slipping over the side.

"Jake!" I yelled, over the drum of the waterfall.

"Trust me!" He said, pulling me along and jumping over the cliff.

I didn't think twice and followed him over that steep cliff. We were suspended high over the raging river. The rapids below beckoned us. I closed my eyes, thinking the worst. I looked down, seeing a flash of orange and landed roughly upon a large body. It wasn't his Ikran that jake had been calling, it was the Leonopteryx. I looked down in shock, amazed that we were actually on such a large aerial predator. Jake quickly made the bond and looked back at me.

"Hold onto me, Norm. Hold onto me tightly," He instructed and I wrapped my arms around his waist and bent my knees.

He pulled the huge animal higher and higher in the sky. I looked back once to see the Na'vi sitting on their pa'li at the edge of the cliff. I held on tightly to Jake and pressed my face against his neck. We were so high up and truth be told, I had a little fear of heights. Jake instructed the Leonopteryx to fly straight up and I could have fallen off if I wasn't holding on so tightly. My breathing increased and I just decided to close my eyes. I could feel the flapping of the large wings and the large breeze it sent my way.

Even when we evened out I continued to hold tightly onto him. He wiggled a little and looked back at me.

"Norm?" He questioned, "I can't breathe."

"Oh sorry," I said, opening my eyes and relaxing my arms slightly.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, fine," I responded, feeling the wind blowing my braid, "Are you?"

"I think…I feel like-"

I pulled my right hand away from his chest and looked at what remained. My hand shook as I witnessed why his chest had felt so warm—warm and sticky. My blue hand was now red, blood red.

"Oh, Jake. You're bleeding. What happened?" I asked, still holding on tightly, but trying to avoid the area.

"He cut off your necklace."

I sighed and nodded, "I know. I'll make you another-"

"He cut me with the knife I think…it hurts," He said and was hunched over slightly, "I didn't notice until now."

"What are we going to do? Where are we supposed to go?" I asked.

He shook his head and winced at the pain from the wound, "Down…down for now. Somewhere where they can't find us."

* * *

*olo'eyktan – Clan Leader

*Tsa'hik – Matriarch

*Kawng – Evil

*Swok – Sacred


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you guys so much for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! And yes, I also wanted to smack Xanos in the face. LOL. I think this chapter will surprise you!

Chapter 10

We landed at a base of a grassy valley near the edge of the forest. Jake slid off the animal and walked blindly towards one direction. I watched him vaguely for a moment, totally lost in what to do and how to help. I followed him moments later.

Jake had sat down under a tree and had his hands over his face and his knees pulled up.

"Jake?"

He breathed in deeply a few times and looked up at me. He shook his head and sniffled. Jake squeezed his hands against the side of his head and made a low groan in the back of his throat. I kneeled down next to him and ran my hand through his hair.

"I don't know what happened. Everything just went to hell…and there's no good reason."

"I know."

"I don't understand. How can they _do_ this? How can they tie us up and throw us out. We didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to be with you. There were no law books saying I couldn't be with you."

"But there was something…wasn't there?" I questioned.

The last few days Jake had seemed worried to say the least. It started way back when Mo'at had first allowed me to take plant samples. He had seemed edgy when I returned late and had even said I shouldn't be out alone. Then later Jake he taught me to use the bow and arrow. I still don't think that was for hunting. He even admitted that it was for protection.

"Xanos and the others had been acting strange. They were plotting something, I could tell. I just didn't know what or when. I didn't want to say anything to anybody about it. It could have been nothing. I just—I just didn't think they would go after us like that. And when they shot you out of the tree I thought for the worst. You just lay there on the ground and your eyes had rolled back into your head. I thought you were dead."

"I'm alright, Jake," I said, rubbing his back briefly and sighing deeply, "What about you?"

He looked down idly and stared at the gash in his chest, "It stings."

I took his hand away from it and studied the long slash, "Lay down."

"Huh?"

"Lay down," I instructed again and pulled out the few items I held in my satchel, "I will put something on it."

He lay down as I told him and stared at the night sky. He was quiet as I rubbed some of the reed lotion on the wound. The bleeding had slowed, but it still needed more tending to. I looked at the glowing of his face in the darkness and the sadness in his eyes haunted me.

"It should help with the sting," I whispered and looked back at his face.

His expression was neutral and he continued to avoid my eyes. Small wet trails fell from his eyes. I clasped my mouth shut and decided whether or not to lay with him. I ended up lying down and curling next to him, pulling my tail up to my bottom. After many minutes of silence he looked over at me, rubbing at his eyes and sniffling.

"I'm sorry, Norm," He said softly.

I turned onto my side and rubbed his tears away, "It's alright. I know. It wasn't your fault."

He just nodded and leaned into the touch. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, fingering the beads in his hair and then pulled him close. He seemed grateful for the embrace, as the night was cold, and put his other arm around me, also. We fell asleep together for the first time that chilly night. I felt safe in his arms, but unsure of the environment around me.

I woke up later, right before the sun came up and looked over at him. He was still sleeping peacefully, his face nestled against my shoulder. I didn't want to wake him, but I was afraid we might be seen. We were still sitting pretty far out in the open. I shook him slightly and he inhaled, blinking large golden eyes at me curiously.

"We should at least go back to base. They can fix you up there. That wound could get infected-"

He shook his head and sat up, stretching.

"We can't go back. That will be the first place they'll expect us to go," He explained.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Norm. I never thought I'd be in this predicament."

"Should we try to find another tribe?"

He stood up shakily and looked out at the open valley, "I don't know what else to do. But, we can't ride Shadow during the day."

"Shadow?"

He smiled a bit and nodded, "My Leonopteryx. She's so big and easy to spot. They would shoot her down—or at least attempt to. We'll have to wait until night. They don't ride at night."

I agreed to wait and we moved further into the forest and out of sight. Jake settled upon a large boulder and I walked around, trying to find some useful plants for our injuries. I found a plant not far away that could be used as an antibiotic. It could be eaten orally or crushed to spread upon a wound. I plucked off a few leaves and gave them to Jake. He cringed at the sour taste but dutifully ate a few leaves. I took off a few more leaves and found a rock. I crushed the leaves into tiny particles and picked them up in my hands. I sprinkled some onto Jake's chest wound and then onto the gash underneath his eye.

"How's your head?" He asked.

"Hurts like a bitch."

He gave a halfhearted laugh and put a hand on my shoulder, "Let me see."

I turned around and kneeled down so he could see the damage. I felt him feeling around in my hair and he came upon a large knot just above my left ear. I cringed and pulled away.

"You hit the ground so hard. I wasn't so surprised that it knocked you out."

"I was shocked," I looked down and then back at him though squinting eyes, "The sun hurts my eyes. I think I gave a migraine."

I sat down next to him and he put an arm around my waist.

"Maybe you should lie down," He suggested.

"Where?"

"Here," He said, pulling my other shoulder down. I lay my head on his lap and curled up close to him. He ran his hand through my hair, careful not to touch the injury. I closed my eyes, grateful for the gentle touch and relaxed.

"I feel like the only thing I have left on this world is you," He said softly.

I turned slightly and looked into his eyes.

"I didn't want this for us, Norm. I had such a good future planned for us. I had imagined so many happy things and now…"

"We did have happy times, Jake. I hope we will have more."

I rested for a while, but did not sleep. I listened to the birds chirping around us. I heard small animals calling to each other in the forest. Jake continued to run his fingers through my hair. I could feel his hands moving together and felt him plaiting small braids into the long strands. I probably could have stayed there with him, just like that, forever. I got up about a half hour later when my stomach began to growl.

"We should find some food."

"Where?"

"I saw some a fruit tree nearby. Let me go see if I can find something."

"Alright. Don't go far."

I nodded and took off, suddenly grateful to have my bow and arrow with me. Jake must have felt better about my new skills too. I wandered around a little while and found the tree not too much later. I gathered a few of the round, fleshy, violet fruit and headed back to Jake.

Not a second later after finding Jake did the fruit fall carelessly out of my hands.

A blue, female warrior stood in front of Jake, holding a dagger. Jake looked shocked and struggled to find his own weapon, which was lying down on the ground. My eyes almost bugged out of my head as I quickly aimed my arrow at her.

"Put down your weapon," I instructed, speaking Omaticayan and indicating her knife.

She swung around quickly and seemed to be surprised to find an arrow aimed at the center of her chest.

"Put it down!" I said again with more vigor, pulling back on the string.

She lowered the dagger and looked between us.

"_You_ should quiet," A voice said from behind me in a dialect of broken Omaticayan.

I jumped slightly and my eyes got wide as I felt the thin tip of another man's arrow at my own back. I made an expression of displeasure but kept my arrow highly aimed.

"You die for him?" The voice said from behind me, inquiring about Jake.

"Yes," I replied, with no hesitation.

"He important to you?" The man questioned, "Brother?"

"Important? Yes. Brother. No."

"Hmm…"

I aimed again and almost released, but a blue arm snaked out from behind me and grabbed my bow, making my arrow wiz off into the trees. I turned around and fought him, throwing a few punches, but he was faster than me. He pushed my shoulder roughly and I ended up sprawled into the dirt. I saw Jake make a move to help me, but the woman leaned forward and hissed. The dagger was aimed for his neck.

"You _bad_ warrior," The man suddenly said with a chuckle and looked down at me.

He said something to the woman in a different language and she reluctantly lowered her dagger. She cast an insipid gaze at Jake and took a step back. They spoke for a second and he laughed loudly. Both were Na'vi, but dressed more unusual than our tribe. Instead of feathers and beads for decoration, they had long, sharp teeth hanging from around their neck and several body piercings. Their faces were both painted yellow and he bared sharp teeth at what resembled a smile.

"What tribe is yours?" The man questioned me.

I looked at Jake for help, but his gaze showed no inclination.

"We have no tribe."

"I no believe. You speak Omaticaya," He said and pulled a knife out of his pocket, "No lie to me."

I stared at the tip of the blade and looked into his eyes.

"I speak the truth. We were Omaticaya, but were exiled from the tribe."

"Exiled? Why?"

"Several reasons…many of which did not make sense," Jake said, carefully scooting his way over to me and lifted his hands in surrender, "Please lower your weapon. We have no way of harming you."

The knife wavered in his hand for a moment, but he eventually sheathed it once again.

"Why reason?"

I looked at Jake again and decided not to respond. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to make the situation any worse than it already was. We didn't know who these people were or where they came from. I didn't think we flew far enough to even encounter another tribe. They weren't from the Omaticaya. Of that I was sure. I didn't know who they were.

"Our tribe did not approve of our relationship. We are lovers," he said, looking back and forth between the two strangers, "We are mated before Eywa."

"Mated before Eywa?" He questioned, looking back and forth between us, "You both male."

"Yes."

I held my breath and waited for a reply. The golden eyes of the stranger held Jake's gaze momentarily and his brow straightened out after a few seconds. He spoke quickly to the woman who replied back in a questioning voice. He nodded and looked at us once again.

"We are similar circumstance."


	11. Chapter 11

Wow. I just have to say you guys are spoiling with all of these amazing reviews! I'm just blown away by them. You know I do really appreciate it! You have all given me so much inspiration. Last night I ended up writing several new chapters. I only got about 4 hours of sleep, but it was worth it! It's no nice to have those little bursts of creativity once in a while. Thanks a lot!

Chapter 11

Similar circumstance? I wasn't sure if there was a language barrier or if what he said was true. Yet, how could there possibly be any circumstance similar to ours? I raised my eyebrow in disbelief and glanced at Jake, who just shrugged. He seemed to be relieved to hear about these _similar circumstances_.

"I am Han," The Na'vi said and bowed slightly.

Jake and I exchanged another odd look and Jake nodded his head, "I am Jake and this is Norm."

Han turned slightly and waved the woman over. She seemed reluctant about meeting us and crossed her arms across her chest.

"This is Dierdy, my mate."

And again I wondered how we were of similar circumstance. Han seemed to understand my sudden confusion and waved slightly.

"Dierdy speaks no Omaticaya. I only speak. Dierdy is pregnant, but the child no mine. The child a hunter's. They intend before, but Dierdy no willing to mate with him. He force her," He spat.

Han was difficult to understand, but I did get one thing out of it. Rape in the Na'vi was practically unheard of. If Dierdy had been unwilling to accept a proposal, then the mating should not have happened. I tried to understand what he meant. He said she was pregnant. I looked at her and could see a slightly swollen outline on the normally otherwise thin stomach. She wasn't far along and was just beginning to show. I wondered how a mating like this could even happen.

"They no mate before Eywa. I help her. _We_ mate before Eywa. Hunter no like. Hunter try to hurt Dierdy. No one care. So, we run away from there. We run and run. We eat and run. We live everywhere," He said, sweeping his hand over the forest.

They sounded a bit like nomads, constantly moving around and eating whatever they could find. It must be an extremely tough life.

"And the two of you are…alone?" Jake asked, cautious in his statement but obviously still uneasy.

"Yes and you?"

"Yes."

"What you look for, _Jake_," Han asked, putting unusual emphasis on Jake's name.

"What are we looking for?" Jake asked as a confirmation. Han nodded, the trinkets in his hair chiming, and Jake continued "We are looking for a clan who will accept us for who we are. We cannot go back to the Omaticaya. It is too dangerous."

"Dangerous," He said, nodding, placing a hand near his mouth and nodded, "Yes. We, too, look for safe place. They try kill you?"

I nodded once, "They probably would have if they had the opportunity. One of the warriors wanted revenge."

"That sad."

I just nodded again, unsure about what to say to these strange new Na'vi. Han looked around at where we were, noticing we had nothing with us. He looked Jake over once and then me over again. He probably couldn't help but notice the wounds we both had, especially Jake's which were more prominent than mine. Han looked at the ground and picked up the fruit I had dropped only minutes before. I nodded once in acceptance and handed one to Jake. I wasn't sure if we should just all relax and eat or if maybe I should keep up a guard around these Na'vi. They were still very much strangers.

"Your tribe far away?" Han asked.

Jake faltered, knowing he would give away much more information if he said yes. He looked to me for guidance and I just shrugged. We didn't have much else to lose.

"Yes."

"How…how you get here? There no tribe here."

"Ikran," He lied smoothly.

Han seemed to accept the answer. Jake and I ended up sitting again on the rock and eating from the fruit. I found out that I had indeed been very hungry. Han asked us where we had found the fruit and he went to find some for him and his mate. Dierdy studied us openly and watched us eat. She stood nearby at a tree and didn't seem at all fearful to be in our presence. She reminded me of Neytiri.

I was more than surprised when Han came back with some fruit and settled next to me on the rock. I stopped eating and looked over at him. He didn't seem to notice my hesitation. I ended up scooting over to Jake shyly and let my thigh rest against his own. Han continued to eat his fruit loudly, not caring much about manners.

"How long you be here?" Han asked, wiping his dripping mouth against his arm and looking at me.

"Just overnight."

"Your tribe try find you?"

"I'm sure they're looking for us. Hopefully they'll give up eventually. They were the ones who exiled us, anyway. I don't really know why they would even bother looking for us."

"Revenge," Jake added, taking another bite and sighing, "We're not sure what to do from here. We don't have any supplies or anything."

"You come with us," Han said firmly, gesturing Dierdy over.

"With you?"

Han nodded and stood up, pacing around the small encampment, "Yes. We travel together. We find safe place."

"Do you think there is such a place? A tribe that would accept us? One that would accept the two of you, even though she carries another man's child?" Jake asked, shaking his head, "I've never heard of such place."

"There be one," Han said nodding deeply and his golden eyes looking upon one, "I sure. We find it."

Jake looked over at me and whispered quickly in Omaticayan, still wary of using English in front of these people. We didn't know if they knew anything about dreamwalkers or even about humans in general. We decided to avoid that conversation all together. I'm sure it would have been easier to just use English. No Na'vi knew English unless they were taught the language.

"I don't think we have much choice. What else is there for us?" Jake said.

"I don't know."

Later that evening, Han lit a fire with some flint and the four of us gathered around it. I was unsure if lighting a fire was the right thing to do. First of all, we were in the forest. I was worried the trees might catch fire. But, we seemed to be close enough to the ground so it never happened. I was also worried that the tribe might be looking for us and spot our fire. Jake said they didn't ride Ikran at night. That didn't mean that they didn't ride Pa'li. We _could_ still be spotted. Or maybe I was just paranoid.

We talked for a while and eventually Dierdy and Han went to sleep. Dierdy fell asleep first with her hand safely resting on top of her knife for easy access. Han lay on the ground and pulled her close. He seemed friendly enough, but I know he didn't trust us. His eyes stayed open for a while and I was sure he would be up in an instant, if attacked. I looked at Jake in the darkness and placed my hand on his thigh after Han finally closed his eyes.

"What are you thinking?" I whispered in English.

"That we shouldn't be speaking that language," Jake said quickly in Omaticayan.

I sighed and put an arm around his back. He cleared his throat, looked over at the sleeping couple and allowed the close contact.

"Your wound looks better," I commented.

"You're a good doctor," He said and looked around, noting the calmness of the forest, "It will be cold tonight."

I nodded, not answering. I felt his lips on mine a second later and I looked up in surprise. He pecked me again and settled back onto the rock. Jake stretched widely and yawned.

"I'm going to sleep," He said and eased off the rock.

I followed him to where he curled up under a nearby tree. It was close enough to the fire to stay warm, but not close enough to worry about embers settling around us. He wrapped both arms around me and laid his head on my shoulder. Jake rubbed my back tentatively and reached down to his leg, where he carried a small knife. He pressed his hunting knife into my hand and held it there momentarily.

"Just in case," He said softly.

"What about you?"

"I have an extra."

Jake's eyes closed after a short while. I put one of my legs between his and tried to curl into his body as much as possible. The temperature was dropping steadily and being on the cool ground did nothing to block the cold. I let his body heat warm me and prayed we wouldn't be killed tonight in our sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

You guys leave such great reviews. I love reading them. They truly make my day! Here's another chapter with a lot of action/plot! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12

I woke up, the smell of a fire tickling my nostrils. I was still alive. That was the best news I could have hoped for all night. I was stiff from lying on the ground, but alive nonetheless. I glanced over to my right where Jake was still fast asleep, one arm casually flung around my waist. His breathing was still deep and it was clear that he wouldn't be waking too soon. I turned over slightly and heard the snapping of the fire. Han sat on the rock and poked at the quickly made fire.

"You hungry, Norm?" He asked.

I stood up, noting that only the two of us were awake. Dierdy still slept peacefully on the other side of the fire, close to Han.

"Starving."

He nodded and gave me a wicker type of plate with some type of meat on it.

"What is this?" I asked, the thought of them trying to poison me running through my mind.

"You no want to know," Han said with a loud laugh and then poking at the fire again, "Just taste."

The meat didn't smell bad, nor did it look bad. He was probably right. I probably didn't want to know what it was. I pulled off a part of the side and chewed it in my mouth. It wasn't exactly chicken and had a distinct salty flavor, but it was good. I sat down on the edge of the rock near him and watched Jake sleep. I couldn't believe he was still asleep, but figured his injuries must have gotten the best of him.

"We leave soon," He said, finishing his morning meal and looking around, "Must start early."

I looked around and could see the light peeking over Pandora's horizon. The birds chirped noisily in the distance and I could hear the rustling of the animals in the forest.

"Where will we go?" I asked, finishing the meat and handing the plate back to him.

"We go south. There is a tribe there," He said and looked over at Dierdy, "We need find tribe soon. Too much running not good for Dierdy."

I nodded, "How far along is she?"

"Five months," He responded and got up to wake his mate, "You wake your Jake."

I just nodded and leaned over Jake to wake him. I gently rubbed his shoulder and those bright eyes greeted me seconds later, "They're ready to go."

His eyebrows scrunched up together as he comprehended the situation. It was unusual for me to speak Omaticayan with him if we were alone. It was like all of yesterday's memories came back to him in a swarm and he sat up quickly. Dierdy was sitting on the rock eating some meat and fruit. Han was standing close by, already putting out the fire. Jake stood up and looked at me.

"Ready to go?" Han asked me once again.

"They want to leave soon. They want us to come with them," I told Jake.

Jake just nodded and accepted the plate of food that Han gave him. He gave Jake a little quirky smile and nodded, "You sleep late."

"Guess I was tired," Jake mumbled, eyeing him suspiciously and looking back at me.

I just shrugged and looked at Jake's chest. The wound looked better than yesterday, but I would need to continue to put some ointment on it to keep the inflammation down. We gathered up our sparse belongings and I took a moment or two to put some medicine on Jake's wounds. Moments later we were on our way, walking through the thick forest. Han and Dierdy were in the lead. I followed them closely and Jake brought up the back.

"What if…what if this is some kind of trap?" Jake asked after I stood and waited for him to catch up.

"What is its not, Jake? We can't be suspicious of every Na'vi we meet," I said.

"I know," He said and sighed dejectedly, "I guess I'm just paranoid. I suppose betrayal is all I've learned to know from them."

"Let's think of it as a new start, alright?" I said hopefully, squeezing his hand momentarily and then following the two other Na'vi once again.

We crossed the hilly Pandoran terrain and waded through several shallow creeks. We stopped only briefly to relieve ourselves and to get a drink of water. The day was long and the temperature hot. It was amazing how cold it could get at night and how warm it could be during the day. The two other Na'vi seemed impartial to the temperatures and to the rougher terrain. They moved gracefully through it, but of course, they did it every day. It was harder for Jake and me to keep up—mostly because he was injured and because I just wasn't used to it.

We walked for 3 days. By the end of those three days I was exhausted and could barely stand straight. Han just looked at us and laughed. He sure did laugh a lot. Yet, even Dierdy was starting to show signs of weakness. We stopped to make camp one night. Jake and I hardly had any time alone. We slept close together but made no further attempts to mate in front of these two strange Na'vi. Yet, they did no such thing and we could hear their moans of passion into the evenings.

I was embarrassed by it and I'm sure Jake was too. The first couple of nights Jake had held me and that was it, but later he tried kissing me, but I just wasn't in the mood. I was tired, sweaty and sure wasn't going to have sex in front of other people. He had to understand that.

The afternoon of the fourth day we were stopped by more Na'vi. They came out of the shadows. I held onto the knife Jake had given me. A female Na'vi strolled out of the woods and came up to Han. She spoke to him in a dialect I didn't recognize. The words were so twisted I couldn't catch any of them. Jake looked like he too was trying to understand, but couldn't. They only talked for a few minutes before she waved her hand towards us invitingly.

"Come," She said in Omaticayan.

She was exceptionally beautiful for a female Na'vi. She was very petite, but had a strong presence. She was clad in an orange loincloth and several feathers lay around her neck. I figured she must be an important member of the tribe. We followed the strange Na'vi further into the woods where pa'li were waiting. I looked to Han for answers and he came over by us.

"Her name Ishael. She important here. She a seer. She say she see us coming," He said, nodding his head her direction, "They invite us to tribe as visitors."

The warriors and tribespeople jumped on their pa'li and we struggled to keep up. Luckily, there village wasn't far away. We were brought to another valley, but one that was full of life and people. They lived in small types of huts that resembled the teepees we saw back on earth. The people of the tribe were busy working. They seemed like a nice bunch I suppose.

Ishael led us to one of the teepees and asked us to sit down. She talked to Han and Dierdy for a moment and looked at us.

"Ishael no speak Omaticaya. She knows not enough words. I interpret," Han said.

Ishael spoke loudly and talked with her hands. She asked Han a few more questions. He looked confused and looked at me.

"She say there no tribes where you were found. She say you must have come further than you think. She knows Ikran no fly there," He said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Jake looked over at me and cleared his throat. I thought he was a good liar, but now his actions spoke of falsehoods. I wondered what he would say.

"You are right. No Ikran fly into valleys like the one we were at. I was afraid of what you would think. I was afraid you would think we were deceiving you," Jake explained and looked at the inquisitive faces; "Norm and I didn't come on Ikran. We fly on the Toruk."

Han just shook his head and sneered, "Impossible."

"Not impossible," Jake said, "I was the Toruk Makto of the Omaticaya."

Han looked shell shocked for a moment and turned to Dierdy. He told her quickly in his language what Jake had told him. Dierdy just shook her head and said something about a lie. Ishael questioned them again and they explained what had been said. The different languages were getting confusing. I hope everything was translating correctly.

Ishael talked to Han for a while and eventually Han turned towards us, "She say she want to see. She want you to show the Toruk."

"Why?" Jake and I said at the same time.

"Because she saw in a vision," He explained, "It a good thing."

"Why do you want to see her? What will that prove?"

"That you tell truth," Han said.

"What does she say about the tribe? Did you tell her about you and Dierdy? Did you tell her about me?" Jake asked quickly.

"I explain about Dierdy. I no tell her about you. Do you want me to?"

"Will she allow us to become part of this tribe?" I asked.

"I ask."

The afternoon moved on slowly. We waited in that little teepee for what seemed like forever. A conversation of confusion moved around us. Ishael was interested in Han and Dierdy and seemed to emphasize with their situation. They would be allowed to stay because Dierdy was with child. Ishael was told about me and Jake. I wasn't sure when, but it was probably the moment she looked over at us and studied us like it was the first time she saw us. She shook her head, but never was the conversation translated for us to understand.

"She say you no allowed to stay forever," Han said softly, explaining, "She say she must see the Toruk. It is a sign for their people."

Jake licked his lips and his golden gaze settled upon me. Quickly in English he said, "I don't know if this is a good idea, Norm."

I almost chasten him for using English, but figured it didn't really matter anymore. Han seemed confused and tried to figure out what Jake had said. They should know by know that we keep more than one secret to protect ourselves.

"I will show you the Toruk, but I need your word that you will not harm her or us. She is very important to me and was also a sign of hope for our tribe. Your people may be afraid of her. She is very large, but she won't hurt anyone," Jake said, "I need your word."

Han translated to Ishael and she nodded slowly. She said something to Han and he nodded, "You have her word."

We went back out into the warm sun and Jake stood near a clearing past the teepees and huts. He made a high call in the back of his throat and stood back. It was several awkward minutes before she showed. Ishael , Han, and Dierdy seemed to lose hope, but there she was coming in the distance. Her large orange wings flapped loudly, making the trees sway in the wind. She landed in front of Jake and seemed exceptionally glad to see him.

"Hey girl," He said in English, walking up close to her and rubbing her neck. He jumped on her and leaned down to me, "I'll be right back. I have a feeling a show is what they had in mind."

I nodded and he placed his hand on my cheek and cawed loudly. Shadow took off, flapping her winds loudly and taking off into the sky. I chewed on my lip, secretly hoping he wouldn't actually leave me and also wondering what everyone else thought. I looked behind us, not at all surprised to see Na'vi standing outside of their teepees, their mouths agape at the amazing sight before them. Ishael said something to Han and he laughed slightly and nodded.

"She say she no see a Toruk so close. They very rare," He said and smiled, "You surprise me _Norm_. You and _Jake_ surprise me."

"Well, Jake surprises me sometimes too."

"You ride on this too, Norm?" He asked.

I nodded and he patted me roughly on the back, "Amazing!"


	13. Chapter 13

Thank you guys for the reviews! I have actually finished this entire story. It will be about 21 chapters when complete. I was so happy! It has turned out better than I had hoped. I will continue to post chapters once a day, because I still have to proof read the others. Hope you enjoy this rather long chapter and check back soon for more!

Chapter 13

That evening was mostly a celebration. I still felt unsure around these people. While it was obvious that Han and Dierdy would be welcomed into this new tribe, they were still unsure about us. Ishael did seem amazed at Jake's abilities, or maybe it was Jake in general. She seemed to be infatuated with him. When we sat down to dinner that evening he just sighed and looked at me.

"I'm glad to have a break. She acts strange around me."

"She likes you, Jake. I think she has a little crush."

"I'm starting to wonder if her little seeing ability is really all that real or not."

I furrowed my brow and poked idly at my food, "I don't know Jake. She really didn't seem all that surprised when you told her you were a Toruk Makto."

"That's true."

We sat around the warm fire, glad to have each other's company and glad for the rest. We watched the Na'vi dance around us. The sound of drums and shakers enticed the people and they gyrated to the beat. Ishael looked over at Jake while she danced with one of the warriors. She gave a rather sexual innuendo, her hand disappearing down the inside of her thigh and he turned to me with an eyebrow raised. I just laughed lightly and leaned on him for support.

"You always were popular with the ladies."

"She's embarrassing!" Jake argued, a slight dark blue color traveling up his neck.

When we finished eating, one of the warriors showed us where the hammock bunks were. We took a quickly bath and then went back to the dark hut. There were four bunks strung end to end in the hut, but luckily no one else there. I was eager to sleep. I was exhausted and so was Jake. I feebly climbed into the first one and Jake stared at me for a moment before crawling in beside me. We laughed as the hammock swayed from side to side but quickly settled in. It felt so good to have his warm body next to mine and to finally be off the cold ground. I was eager for sleep, but it seemed that Jake had other things on his mind. His lips moved to mine and he gently suckled on my lower lip. I leaned back onto the small hammock and allowed his advances.

I pulled his head closer to mine and intensified the kiss, pressing my tongue into his mouth and taking control. He hummed eagerly and I took the moment to turn us over slightly, so we were side by. I wrapped one arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer. Our hips grinded against each other and he moaned. Before we knew it, hands were grabbing, tugging at our loincloths for eager access. I discarded mine quickly and put my fingers around my mate's cock. I licked his nipples and then moved down to his stomach, taking his whole cock into my mouth.

"Oh God…Norm…oohhh," He moaned, pulling at my hair until he found the end and he made the connection.

We both gasped and I could feel his every emotion. He was desperate for me, needy almost. I suckled on his cock, pushing him onto his back. He moaned and gasped my name.

"Oh fuck…oh Norm. I'm coming…"

He didn't last long and came suddenly into my mouth. I swallowed as much as possible and rested my head briefly on his thigh. I looked up at him through half rimmed golden eyes. He looked like he was practically asleep. I pushed myself up and kissed him on the side of the mouth. I pressed my still hard erection against his thigh.

"Jake?" I whispered against his neck.

"Huh?"

I ghosted my fingers across his chest and he opened his eyes again. The darkness of the hut made our skin glow light green and his eyes shone brightly.

"Can I be inside you tonight?"

I could feel him weighing the options through the bond. He wasn't really comfortable with the idea, but I was curious. I sent him feelings of love and gentleness through our bond and he nodded at me.

"Okay."

I leaned down over the side of the hammock and dragged my satchel closer to us. I pulled out the same lotion from a few days ago and poured some onto my hand. I looked at my Jake, who was hot and panting underneath me and just took a few moments to admire him. He shook me out of my stupor by grabbing my leg and trying to pull me closer.

"Norm. Come on," He said, his hand going to pull on his own cock, "I can't wait…"

I prepared him quickly, knowing he couldn't wait much longer and neither could I. I pulled his legs around his waist and could feel his hesitation through our bond.

"It's alright Jake," I said softly, kissing his neck and then his mouth. I pressed forward slowly, allowing him to get used to the intrusion. I reached under me and caressed his cock, kneading it slowly. He relaxed for me then, groaning in my ear and clamping down on my own cock, "That better?"

"Much," He said and held my face in his hands, "I love you Norm."

I began a slow rhythm and leaned forward, capturing him in a kiss, "I love you, Jake."

He gasped and arched as I hit his prostate. I tried to aim in that direction again and managed to touch it a few more times. His mouth hung open and he moaned, pulling me closer and finally getting used to my size in him. We kissed hungrily and he held me tightly around the waist. I came first, my climax quickly upon me. The rhythm picked up quickly and I gasped his name, collapsing on his chest. He came only moments later.

As he came off the high he gasped, not in sexual pleasure, but in surprise. He was looking over my shoulder. I whipped my head to the side and saw a shadow standing there. Ishael was standing near the doorframe, her eyes watching us inquisitively. She said something in her language, nodded once and left.

I exhaled and looked over at Jake, who was propped up on one elbow, "She was watching us?"

"I don't know why she would want to," I said and lay down next to him. I curled up next to him and he wrapped an arm around me, "Maybe she realized you really were taken. She was trying to steal you away from me…"

He laughed and squeezed me. There was no door on the small hut, so our hammock swayed lightly in the breeze. I laid my head next to Jake's and fell asleep.

I dreamt of the first time I used my avatar body. Jake and I had been the first to use them together. I was eager, curious to find how the new body worked. Jake was excited, impatient. He had wanted no direction of how to use the avatar. He had only wanted to try everything himself. I remember how we had first woken up, still in hospital gowns. Jake had been clearly amazed at his new legs. He had jumped off the table like a bat out of hell, knocking everything over in sight. And he was off.

"Come."

I dreamt of when Jake was lost in the woods. Grace, Trudy and I searched for him for days, but he was nowhere to be found. Imagine our surprise when he woke up and told us he was with the Na'vi. I was flabbergasted and wondered how he had managed to even stay _alive_ during that time. I was jealous, too. My dream _had_ to be to meet the Na'vi and to be accepted as one of them.

"Come."

My eyes opened in the semi-dark hut and met another pair of golden ones. As my eyes adjusted I realize it was Ishael. She looked down at our naked bodies and a wry smile appeared on her lips. I wondered briefly how she knew our language and then wondered if maybe "come" could possibly be universal.

"Come, Norm."

"Okay," I said impatiently, waking up Jake. She left for a moment only briefly and I quickly jumped out of the hammock and put my loincloth back on. Jake winced slightly as he leaned over, but followed my lead. I rubbed his lower back and we went out of the hut and followed Ishael across the camp. She stopped, threw open the cover to her teepee and urged us inside.

We were surprised to find that she was not alone in the teepee. There was another male there. He wore an elaborate headdress and many necklaces and adornments around his neck.

"I am Riso, the chief of the Mayogato," he said and extended a hand of acceptance, "Ishael asks me to translate. She says it's important."

I was surprised to meet the chief and even more surprised that he spoke Omaticaya with barely an accent. Even last night, we hadn't talked to him. We saw him speak briefly to Han and Deirdy, apparently welcoming them into the tribe, but nothing was said to us. It was early morning already, but the tribe had risen early. The people were already getting to work gathering and cooking for the day.

"Alright," Jake said.

"I'll translate what Ishael says," He told us.

We just nodded and listened. She spoke quickly to Riso, her hands moving wildly as she talked.

"She says she didn't believe you last night—when Han said you were mated before Eywa. Two males mated? It's a very rare thing. But last night she saw you together mating. You were connected, bonded. She sees no future for you here in our tribe, but in another tribe she sees your future."

I cleared my throat and shuffled, a bit embarrassed that she had witnessed something so intimate. Riso stopped talking and listened to her for a few more moments. We listened carefully, feeling this was important. I glanced over at Jake, who was sitting directly next to me with his feet crisscrossed. His brow was furrowed as he listened to what the chief had to say.

"There is a tribe further south in the mountains," He began, taking a few moments to translate, "It is a tribe where there are no Ikran and there are no Pa'li. There are only Toruk."

"Only Toruk?" Jake questioned, "How can that be?"

Riso translated and nodded, "Ishael says they aren't rare in the mountains. They are plentiful and the many warriors ride them. They are very strong in battles."

Jake and I listened, clearly amazed at what they were telling us. I half wondered if maybe Ishael was making it up.

"Ishael says this isn't the only thing rare about this tribe. This tribe is mostly males. There was an…illness a few seasons back. Many women perished from this disease. It is a disease of the reproductive organs. There were some women left, but mostly men in this tribe."

Riso stopped and listened to Ishael for while, occasionally nodding in agreement. I glanced over at Jake and wondered what they were saying and mostly wondering what my mate was thinking.

"The men became lonely after a while. There were so many warriors and hunters and not enough women. The males began to take other men as lovers. They were happier this way and performed better in battle and hunted more game. The chief allowed it. They thought it would be only a temporary solution, but it continued. More and more Na'vi men began to mate with other males. It became typical. Several seasons have now passed. There are more women now, but many men still find comfort in the arms of another male."

"You're saying there is really a tribe like this?" Jake asked, pursing his lips, "I have a hard time believing it."

"Believe it _Jake_," He said, his dialect making Jake's name sound more like 'Jack', "Ishael says you belong there with your mate. It is the place for you."

Jake shrugged slightly, "So where is this so called place?"

Ishael raised a hand and waved it slightly as she spoke. Riso translated slowly, to be sure we understood.

"It is a four day flight to the south. You must cross the sea and then fly higher into the mountains. It can be dangerous and the Leomatica people heavily guard their lands. You will know you are there when the sky turns violet at night and the Toruk fly with your own."

"How do you know where they live? How do we know this place is real?" I asked.

His golden eyes turned on me, "When their women were sick, we sent supplies. I had the obligation of assisting the people there. I saw it with my own eyes."

"How will we know they will accept us?" Jake asked.

"There is no guarantee, but you will more than likely be welcomed because of your connection to your Toruk and to your mate."

"And when do you suggest we go there?"

"As soon as possible," Riso replied.


	14. Chapter 14

Oh Wow. You guys gave me so many awesome reviews for the last chapter. I'm up to 70 already for the story. That's amazing! Somebody suggested I write a Tsu'Tey/Jake fic. I just don't see Tsu'Tey and Jake together. Maybe it's just because I think Norm's so cute! Isn't he cute? LOL. Well, enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 14

The two of us spent the next day gathering supplies. Riso gave us a leather bag to store our supplies in. We were given bread, fruits, medicines, and hygienic supplies for our trip. Jake's chest wound looked much better, but I still applied the salve to it every day to avoid getting an infection.

I was sitting in the grass, assembling my natural healing herbs when Jake came up from behind me. He gently touched my shoulder and sat next to me.

"Looks like you've got everything in order," He said, nodding at my pile of leaves.

"Well I plan to crush these two and then just pack that one. You never know when we'll need them," I said, wrapping them up and putting them into the bag.

"I have something for you," Jake said, unfolding a package and giving it to me, "Riso gave me extra leather and I wanted to remake the gift I gave you at our first mating."

I accepted the red dyed leather and carefully traced my hand over the softness of it. I looked over at my mate and nodded, "Thank you, Jake…I haven't remade your necklace yet, but I will."

"Don't worry about it," He said and smiled softly, "We have plenty of time."

He leaned closer to me and began to tie the leather around my arms once again. I remembered how gently he had done it the first time, so lovingly. I also remembered how roughly they had been pulled off and eventually trampled on by angry warriors on pa'li. I closed my eyes briefly. When I looked up at Jake my eyes were full of tears.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

"Nothing's _wrong_," I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, "It's just that when we were human, people exchanged rings and now we exchange these gifts with our mates. It just seems like…"

"Like we're practically married?" Jake asked with a grin.

I nodded.

"I've thought of that too. It's a strange thought, thinking of being human and being with another man. But, when I think of being Na'vi and being with you it doesn't seem so unusual," He said softly.

"I hope this place that we're going to is good. I hope they accept us. Do you think we'll ever tell them, Jake? About our past I mean?" I asked, wrapping my arm around his back and giving him a quick hug.

"Maybe eventually. Not at first. It's difficult for the Na'vi people to understand," He said.

Before we left we said our goodbyes to Han and Dierdy and thanked them for their help. They were more than happy to stay with the Mayogato tribe. Han wished us good luck. We talked to Ishael and Riso briefly before we left.

"When you reach the plateau with the Tree of Souls after three days, you must rest there. After the plateau is the sea. You will fly for one day straight. Your Toruk will need rest before you fly the sea and so will you and your mate. Stay safe _Jake_ and you too, _Norm_," Riso said with a nod.

"Thank you for your help," I said, honestly, nodding slightly.

Ishael stepped forward and embraced Jake and then me.

"Be safe," she simply said.

Ishael said something to Riso. He nodded, smiled a little and translated, "Ishael says you are different—both of you. She says your presence is unusual as are your extra fingers."

Jake laughed suddenly, but I quickly folded my hands as to hide my extra finger. I had never thought that having five fingers, as opposed to four, would be something embarrassing to have. Ishael laughed softly and petted my shoulder.

"Be safe," She said again and took a few steps back.

A small crowd had gathered to watch our departure. Na'vi children ran around wild, but stopped to look up when Jake called Shadow. She appeared out of nowhere, her wings sending my hair flying back. I pulled the handle of the bag over my shoulder and followed Jake. He jumped up, his feet relaxing into a kneel. He gave me a hand and pulled me up behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and we both waved to the crowd. He gave a loud "_caw_" and we took off.

Shadow backed up slightly and started running before the clouds took over. I looked down, finally having the chance to admire the beauty of Pandora. The first time I was on Shadow I was terrified. She was so big and all I could think about were the Omaticaya warriors and wondering if they would come after us. I figured now they must be long gone. It felt good to just enjoy the wind on my face and the warmth of my mate in front of me.

We rode for three days. We stopped only a couple times a day to eat, relieve ourselves, and bathe in the sparkling ponds. We took the time to get reacquainted with each other.

"It's like our honeymoon," Jake jokingly said one evening while we sat around a small fire.

"Honeymoon my ass," I said back sarcastically, "You didn't get wind burnt like I did."

The long ongoing days on Shadow had caused me to get a wind burn. My bluish cheeks and neck looked to be permanently stuck in a blush. I may have complained. They _were_ extremely long days, but I still enjoyed the rides. I felt free. I still had some fear of heights, but it was better when the riding was more casual and not because we're trying to outrun anybody. And of course, Jake helped a lot too.

"That's only because I'm used to it," He said and put his hand on his knee, "Ishael said many of the warriors ride Toruk. Maybe we can wrangle one up for you."

"I don't _think_ so," I said, shaking my head, and leaning greatly against him.

He laughed and we ended up rolling around on the ground tickling each other and pressing kisses against each other's faces. We made love that night under Pandora's night sky. The stars shone down brightly above us. Jake lay on his back, while I crawled on top of him and rode his aching manhood. We kissed and gasped for breath. He held my hips and looked up at the sky, and at my face.

Later, when it was over, I lay in his arms. He massaged my scalp and ran his hand through my dark hair. He picked up our hair where the neural connection was made and marveled at it.

"Look at it, Norm," He whispered and I turned to look at him and then back at our hair where the connectors glistened and pulsated with light, "Isn't that just amazing?"

I lay my head back down near his collarbone and nodded, "Everything feels so much more powerful when we're connected. It's so much better."

"Well, I don't think the human way can really compare anymore," He said softly and pulled me close.

By the third day, late in the afternoon Jake pointed out at something, "Look over there. See the white? That's the Tree of Souls that Riso was talking about."

I followed his finger out and saw what seemed to be hundreds of trees. All were glowing beautiful white and could probably have been seen miles away. He landed Shadow near the edge of them, just before the water. We looked out at the sea, which was probably thousands of miles out. Jake sighed and turned away. I followed him as he walked into the tree of souls. I was quiet as he pulled out his hair and made tsahaylu with the tendrils from the beautiful white tree. He kneeled down in front of it and seemed to be listening.

I stayed with Shadow and waited for Jake to return. He said nothing but gestured me over, "I asked Eywa for strength as we make this flight tomorrow. Strength and courage mostly. I was surprised though, when I listened to the tree."

"What do you mean?"

"The Tree of Souls is the voices of Pandora, of nature and of Na'vi who have passed away here. I asked for their opinion and for their consideration. We aren't the only ones who have made this trip for the same reasons, Norm. There have been others. Some made it, some didn't make it. I'm worried."

"Why are you worried? We're going to be fine."

"I know. I...I guess I just worry that we won't be accepted."

"They have no reason not to accept us. Let's see what _we_ can bring to this tribe. A great warrior, hunter and Toruk Makto. You have so many leadership qualities, Jake. Whether the Omaticaya want to admit it or not, you are a _good_ person and a damn good warrior. Don't let anything they said make you thing otherwise."

Jake smiled lightly and looked over at me, "And what about you, Norm? What can you bring to this tribe?"

I just shrugged and looked bashful for a moment, "I don't know."

"You do," He said, walking over to me and tugging slightly on the red leathers on my arms, "You shouldn't underestimate your healing abilities, Norm. You're great at what you do. You _can_ save many people if you had to. And it's not just that. You have such a caring heart."

We spent the rest of the evening talking about what we should expect to come. Jake joked to me about my eye straying to some of the "hot, lean blue men". I rolled my eyes and simply told him to shut up. He laughed. We lay enveloped in each other's arms and fell asleep early.

When morning arrived, we were thoroughly rested, as was Shadow, who seemed eager to take flight. We packed up our gear, took deep breaths and took off. The air was crisp up there in the sky, almost nippy. I wrapped my arms around Jake and huddled into his warmth. He seemed relieved to have me so close. The sky was vacant for a long while. Shadow strived on brilliantly until early afternoon.

"Look," I told Jake, pointing straight up.

He looked up and stared at the mountains beginning to come into view.

"How are we supposed to know which one?"

We both already knew the answer. It wasn't until later that day that the Toruk began to show. First we noticed them flying higher above us. The longer we flew the close they got until I could almost reach out and touch them. Two of them flew next to us. One was a bright, fiery red and the other sky blue. I looked at them a little clearer and realized they were not wild. They had the mounting gear typical to Ikran and even Jake's own Toruk, which made riding more comfortable.

"Look at them all," Jake said in awe.

"We must be almost there," I said over his shoulder.

The sun was just beginning to set and the sky cast an eerie shade of violet over the setting sun. We heard wings coming quickly from above and looked behind us to find a Toruk coming at us full speed. This one had a rider attached.

He had several braids in his dark hair, all attaching to his long braid. He wore a beaded headdress with several feathers flying around in the wind. He also had dark leather arm and leg bands and a single beaded necklace. He waved his arm at us and shewed away the other flying animals. He said something to us in a language I didn't understand. He studied us with shrewd, bright yellow eyes and gave a swift shake of his head. Two other warriors came from nowhere and surrounded us. He said something to one of them and tried again with the language.

"Mayogato?" He questioned.

"No, "Jake said, hesitating at first, but figuring he had to be able to communicate with them, "Omaticaya."

"Omaticaya?" The warrior questioned, "Omaticaya no come here for long time. Why you come?"

"We…we need a home," Jake responded and I leaned closer to him.

I was still in a slight daze to see all these warriors upon such large aerial animals. I no longer see the Toruk as a threat. It no longer seemed like a predator to me. It seemed larger and more intelligent than Ikran, though. These warriors did not seem small on their winged animals. They seemed so comfortable on them. I looked over at the ones on the side, who were dressed similarly. One had his arrow out, ready to shoot, but apparently not before getting an okay from the first warrior who spoke.

He said something to the warrior to the right of us, who lowered his arrow slightly.

"You come speak to our olo'eyktan," He said and took off, "Come."


	15. Chapter 15

Wow guys! Thanks for the update. Yes, they finally made it to the new tribe! Will they be accepted? Let's find out. I know this chapter is a bit short, but at the same time I think it will rock your socks off!

Chapter 15

Jake looked over in the direction of the other warriors, who followed him closely. They "cawed" and "yipped" at their Toruk, who then banked up north. Jake followed, carefully steering Shadow, who was beginning to slow down after the long day. They other Toruk Makato's flew so fast. They were used to it. We landed on the side of a mountain and I hung practically straight down, clinging to Jake with my life. The warrior to my right, the one who spoke our language, just laughed at me.

"You step down," He instructed, nodding towards a small ledge.

I felt a bit stupid and slid off Shadow. Jake followed, staying close to me. The cliff was narrow, but the warriors didn't seem to pay any heed. The two warriors we hadn't talked to led the way and the other followed behind us. Jake's tail snapped in annoyance. I didn't blame him. I kind of felt like we had done something wrong, when all we wanted was a little acceptance.

We followed them up a long winding, narrow path up the mountain. Even though we were high in the air on a _mountain_, the ground was beginning to turn green with grass. We followed them up to a rather open area at the top. There were huts, similar to the Mayogato had made, but made with leather, instead of cloth. The warrior in front of us suddenly went to the front of the line, talking to the others. I had the distinct impression that he was someone high up on their hierarchy.

"You, stay," He instructed and went into one of the huts momentarily. I could hear them talking in there, but wasn't sure to whom.

He came out a second later and nodded at the others, "Come now."

We followed him into the hut where there was another male Na'vi.

"So, you're from the Omaticaya, huh?" He asked rather casually, speaking our language perfectly.

"Um, yes?" Jake said, just as surprised as me.

He said something to the warrior next to him and he sat down and studied us.

"I am Ala'kan and this is Telan," He nodded towards the other and then looked at us, "I am the olo'eyktan."

"I am Jake and this is Norm," Jake said, putting his hand on my arm momentarily and then looking at the chief of the tribe.

Ala'kan was a typical Na'vi chief. He wore jewelry distinctive to the olo'eyktan. He also wore many feathers and braids in his hair like the man next to him. He was a younger chief, probably only a few years older than Jake and I. He had both of his ears pierced and had a black henna tattoo on his upper arm.

"You must have ridden your Toruk very far to get here. You must have intended to come here. Yes?"

Jake nodded, "It was our intention, yes."

"And what do you want from us?"

Jake took a deep breath, "I was the sixth Toruk Makto of the Omaticaya."

"This is very unusual for other tribes. I know," Ala'kan said with a nod, "I apologize for any misleading actions my warriors sent you. We are not used to seeing neighboring tribe's people with Toruk. They usually come on Ikran if they can make the trip."

"I understand their worry," Jake said and continued, "We were exiled from our tribe."

"Exiled? This is even _more_ unusual. May I ask what you did to be exiled?"

Jake looked over at me and grabbed my hand, "We mated before Eywa."

His eyes moved from Jake's to mine and he nodded deeply and looked in the direction of Telan who was listening quietly.

"And your tribe did not approve of such mating?"

"No. We met up with another tribe, the Mayogato, along the way and were instructed to come here."

Telan gave a little snort and said, "Ishael."

"Yes, how did you know?"

"She a true seer. Our women be ill, she send help. She knows things. She good shaman," Telan said, glancing over at me at my red leathers. He must know their significance, "And you shaman too?"

I shrugged slightly, "Jake seems to think so."

"He has studied the plants, trees and life on Pandora. He knows medicines quite well. He _is_ a good shaman, but is modest about it."

"And of you, Jake? What were you in your tribe?" Ala'kan asked, leaning over slightly.

Jake looked away and took a deep breath, "I was a warrior."

Telan leaned over slightly and gave Ala'kan a look that read of some inside story that we didn't know about. Ala'kan nodded a few times and looked at us.

"Well, you seem like a good fit for our tribe. You can ride a Toruk without anyone having to teach you. That's a feat in itself! You must have good experience," He said and looked over at me, "And hopefully you can get over your modesty and become our tribe's shaman."

"What? Me?"

"I thought that was at least _part_ of your intention of coming here," Ala'kan said with a big laugh.

"It was," I admitted, "I just didn't think you would offer me such a position…don't you already have a shaman?"

"We recently lost our shaman. He was aging and went with Eywa peacefully. We have others who know simple skills, but no official shaman. So, what do you think?"

"Well…" Jake pinched my tail and I yelped. I glared at him and looked at Ala'kan, "Okay, I'll do it."

"Good. Good. Telan will show you around," He said and spoke to him in their language.

Moments later we were outside of the small dwelling. I couldn't believe it had all happened so quickly. We were really here and we were really already accepted by the tribe. Telan mumbled to himself for a moment and swung open a door to another building.

"We eat here," He said simply and looked at us, "You be here early and eat with tribe."

"Alright," Jake said.

"I show you where to sleep," He said and led us to the very corner of the large crater where it went down a jagged cliff. I hesitated before following him, climbing down the side of the mountain. He stopped at a small shelter that was covered with a cloth. Inside was a single hammock, dirt floor, and an opening in the side to for storage, "This for visitors, but now for you."

"Telan? Can I ask you a question?" Jake asked after a moment or so.

"Yes. What?"

"Do you think it's strange that Ala'kan accepted us so easily? He doesn't even know us," Jake said softly, shaking his head and looking at our own private room we had been given.

Telan just sighed and shook his head slightly. He shrugged his shoulders, "Ala'kan is spoiled. He gets what he wants always. He like you, both of you. He say he have good feeling of you."

"Good feelings about us? I guess that is good," I said.

Telan nodded and smiled, "You lucky."

"I suppose. He was really easygoing."

"Oh, he always like that. He always happy."

"You seem to know him well," I said as a passing thought.

Telan grinned and he nodded, "Of course, he my mate."

"Your mate?" I asked, dumbstruck.

Telan nodded slightly and grinned at us, "You should no be surprised."

"I…shouldn't. I suppose," I said slowly and nodded.

"When Ala spoke of the 'misleading actions' of the warriors, he make joke. He know I be a bit…what is the word? Protective. I be protective of him—and of the tribe." Telan said and sighed deeply, "I have reason to be protective. Some tribes no like our tribe. Some tribes no want peace. So I fight them. Ala say I should not be so…mean. I no care."

"I fought for my tribe once and they betrayed me. Even so, I would do it all over again," Jake said suddenly, looking out the door of the small dwelling and out at the blue sky.

"Then maybe Ala's feeling is right. You are good Na'vi," Telan said and nodded at us, "I leave you now. You talk and then eat dinner with us."

We nodded in agreement and just as Telan stepped outside, I stopped him.

"Telan?" I questioned, "How do you and Ala'kan know Omaticayan so well?"

"Oh, that because Ala teach me," He said and tilted his head, "Before Ala'kan was Leomatica, he was Omaticaya."


	16. Chapter 16

Thank you guys for the reviews. I'm so glad that you're all sticking around for my story. Enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 16

"This could be just setting us up for more problems," I told Jake after Telan had left, "What if Ala'kan knows already?"

"He made no inclination of knowing anything Norm. We just have to remember to only speak Omaticayan, even when we're alone," Jake said, pulling the bag off my arm and lying down on the cot, "We'll be fine. You should relax."

"Me, relax? You're the one who was so worried about coming here," I argued.

Jake put his hand on his head and rubbed his temples for a moment, "This feels right. Doesn't this feel _right_ to you?"

I sighed and looked around, still uncomfortable with the thought that our new dwelling place was on the cliff of an expansive mountain. One wrong step could send me or Jake tumbling down the mountain thousands of feet and end up dead in the sea.

"This feels…strange," I replied, crouching in the corner and biting on my nails.

Jake turned sideways in the hammock and watched me, "What if this was meant to be?"

"What if _none_ of this was meant to be? What if I'm still not cut out to be a shaman? You didn't give me much choice, Jake. I haven't had any formal training-"

He _tsked_ and rolled out of the hammock, "No formal training? What was Mo'at then? She offered better training than any other shaman. I guarantee it. You need to just relax."

"This is just all so strange to me, so alien. I don't know if I could ever get used to being Na'vi," I said honestly, frowning and looking down at the dirt ground.

"But you've been doing great so far," He said softly, "How can you say you're not doing well? What will it take for you to feel like you're meant to be here—with the other Na'vi and with me?"

"I don't know, Jake. I'm just telling you how I feel," I admitted and stood up to face him.

"You'll be fine," He said softly, gently grasping my upper arm and pressing a kiss to my cheek, "_We'll_ be just fine. Now let's go and eat. I think they're expecting us."

We walked back up to the camp. I tried to avoid looking down over the mountain. I _still_ couldn't get used to the heights. This could turn into a problem for me. Jake was in a really good mood. He seemed content just to be here with these people. I had expected to see only men, but there were occasionally women walking around. They would nod and smile. They all seemed so easygoing, kind of like their chief.

We went to the hut where the food was served. One of the warriors that had been with Telan in flight just waved at us and grinned. I nodded meekly and followed Jake into the building. The smell of a roast whiffed into my nostrils and I inhaled deeply. I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since early that morning before we had even left the place with the Tree of Souls.

The people sat on the ground on huge woven mats. Food was in the center and they were all eating and helping themselves. They were laughing, talking, and generally seemed to be having a good time. I felt a hand on my arm and jumped slightly. It was Ala'kan. He smiled brightly at us and nodded.

"Hello friends. Good to have you here for dinner," He said and patted our shoulders, "I will make an announcement to welcome your presence before we eat,"

Ala'kan stepped up on a small platform in the front of the dwelling. We watched him raise his right hand and the crowd quickly quieted to a dull whisper. We did not understand much of what he said, but he sure had their attention. The whole room of blue skinned, golden eyed Na'vi were watching him in wonder. He waved over at us and I heard our names in his speech. Telan stood to the side stoically, a rather sour expression on his face. He didn't seem so happy to have us there. Ala'kan stepped down and dismissed them and they all went back to eating.

"Sit here, by us," He said

He said and gestured towards an open area on the ground, "Help yourselves to the food. We're having a feast tonight in your honor. It is not often that we have guests, let alone new clan members."

I looked over at Jake and raised my eyebrow. New clan members? Was he already so accepting of us? Telan didn't look very happy with our new titles. He sat down next to his mate, but ignored him. Ala'kan didn't really seem to notice, or he chose to pay no attention to him.

"Thank you for inviting us into your home like this. The food looks delicious," Jake said, gesturing towards the plate he was filling up, "I haven't had vegetables in a long time."

"You're welcome. This is surprisingly good farming ground for vegetables. The temperature is more stable up here, compared to the high temperature during the day and the low during the night on the surface," Ala'kan said.

They both continued to eat and Ala'kan spoke briefly with Telan, who was rather short with him. Ala'kan just stared at him for a moment and shook his head. We understood no part of their conversation.

"I will introduce you to my friends. Sitting across from you are Pelna and Ati'ca. They were the warriors who flew with you this morning. They are recently mated. We had the ceremony just last week," Ala'kan said, nodding to them.

"Ceremony?"

"Yes, bonding ceremony, of course."

We must have looked lost, because Ala'kan suddenly put down his eating utensil and nodded, "Oh, I almost forgot. The Omaticaya do not have a special ceremony for matings. That is different here. Here with the Leomatica people, we have special bonding ceremonies. We all gather together and witness the truth that Eywa has set before us. We have a celebration."

It sounded to me like they had an awful lot of celebrations. It also sounded like they had such things similar to human weddings.

"So, I can assume that you two have mated, but have yet to have a ceremony?" Ala'kan asked inquisitively, leaning forward slightly to study us.

I shook my head, "The Omaticaya do not have ceremonies. They did not approve of our mating in the first place."

"You will have ceremony here with us, then," He said happily, clapping slightly and nodding at Jake, "That sound good to you?"

Jake looked like he would start choking on his food. I patted his back slightly. His eyes met mine and he looked completely shocked. We just stared at each other for a few moments, trying to decide how to answer. I didn't want to say the wrong thing, neither to Jake nor to our new chief. Even Telan seemed shock at his mate's sudden admission of the idea.

"You don't like the idea?" Ala'kan asked with a frown.

"It's not that it's just that…well we just arrived here. We don't know anybody. We don't know you. And Norm…well, I need to speak to him about this," Jake said, pushing his food aside and taking a deep breath.

"You will get to know us. We will be good friends. Ishael says so. And, you know Ishael is always right," He said cocking his head to the side and grinning at us.

He sounded _so_ sure. I continued to eat slowly. Even the unusual invitation for a mating ceremony couldn't stop my hunger. Jake just looked confused. Ala'kan talked to the warriors across the way. They laughed and joked. They looked our way a few times, but their laughing didn't seem insulting, to my relief. Ala'kan shook his head several times and even Telan had a smile on his face. If only we could understand their language.

I felt a poke against my arm and Ala'kan leaned my way, "They want me to sing."

"Sing?" I asked.

"Oh yes."

They all clapped as he got up. I wasn't sure if this was some kind of joke or something. I looked over at Jake who just shrugged and started eating his meal again. Ala'kan asked the crowd a question and a few "whoops" and laughter ensued. He just grinned and nodded, pointing over at someone in the back with a drum.

A low drum beat began and Ala'kan stood up straight. He began humming a few lines and then started singing. Of course, I didn't understand the words, but his voice was so soothing and magical. He was a borderline tenor with a flexible pitch. His words seemed to float through the air and the crowd watched in awe. He stopped singing and made a gesture with his hand. It was apparently one of invitation because he smiled at Telan. Telan managed to look at a bit bashful and just shook his head. Ala'kan said something in invitation again and the crowd began jeering him to join his mate on stage.

Telan eventually sighed and ended up on stage. Telan joined in singing a few lines. He was no singer, but Ala'kan didn't seem to care much. Eventually the rest of the Na'vi joined in the song. I looked nervously over at Jake, feeling very out of place. He raised both eyebrows at me and smiled wryly. When the song ended the people seemed breathless, happy. Ala'kan and Telan joined us back at the circle once again. Telan seemed to be complaining to him and grumbled a bit. Ala'kan just smiled and patted him on the back.

"I will teach you the language. Telan and I are the only ones who speak Omaticayan. You will need to learn Leomatican very soon. You will need to learn how to communicate," Ala'kan said to me.

I just nodded.

Later Jake and I went back to our small dwelling. I hung onto Jake's arm as we climbed partly down the mountain to get to the small hut. Jake looked back at me in the dark, his golden eyes full of mirth.

"It's not that bad, Norm."

"You're the one that rides the Toruk. _Not_ me. I just can't get used to the heights," I said, my hand still tight around his own, as we crawled down the rocks, "Plus it's dark and I can't see much and we're so far up."

"I guess I'll have to build you a handrail," He said with a little chuckle.

I almost immediately shut down the idea, but then thought about it a bit more. Perhaps that would calm my nerves to know I wouldn't be sailing down the side of the mountain any time soon. Once inside the dwelling I felt immediately better. I lay down in the hammock and Jake shewed me over a bit and jumped in beside me, practically squishing me.

He pulled himself over me and kissed me once, his mouth eager and hot against my own. I raised an eyebrow and kissed him back and settled my arms around his neck. I hadn't even realized he had my braid until I felt the connection zap to live. He didn't anything to me, but through the bond he sent me images. They were images of happiness and love. They were images of us at some kind of ceremony. His eyes spoke the rest and he had a small smile on the corner of his mouth.

"This is what you want?" I whispered, looking into those vivid golden eyes.

"Yes," He said softly, moving to press a kiss to my neck and then his lips wrapped around one of my nipples. I arched into his touch and exhaled, "This feels right. I see the other couple's happiness. I see their love for each other. We could have that too."

"If that's what you want, Jake, then that's what I want too," I said.

I moaned at the feather light touches and pulled his hips closer to mine. I grinded against him, feeling his manhood become stiff. He groaned into my ear and rubbed his fingers against the tip of my ears. My ears were a particularly sensitive spot. Suddenly his hand was between us and he cupped my arousal. He helped me pull my loincloth off and we giggled like schoolchildren when the hammock began to sway. His was off soon after. He had prepared me like always and pulled my legs around his waist.

"Come for me, my beautiful blue man," He whispered.

"Your fiancé," I said softly, panting as he entered me.

He grinned and nodded, pressing deeper into my entrance. We rocked against each other, clearly out of breath and not having a care in the world—except for each other. He sent me more images through our tsuhaylu, mostly of the extreme ecstasy he was experiencing. It sent me climaxing over the edge and I dug my fingers into his shoulders. We cried out together, both in English and Omaticayan. I was glad to know that our home was far enough away from the others so no one else could hear. Although, I was sure that the majority of them were probably doing the exact same thing.


	17. Chapter 17

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I've had a couple people ask if there are going to be babies in this story whether through mpreg or with a woman. I can tell you that there won't be any children born in this story. I have yet to decide whether or not I will do a sequel. You never know!

Chapter 17

The following day I woke up early. It was something I would need to get used to. They expected us to attend breakfast with the tribe early. Jake was still asleep, his head pressed into my neck. I lay there quietly for a moment, finding the time to relish in the comfort of him. I looked around our small dwelling to see the morning sun filtering through the small doorway.

Jake must have sensed my wakefulness, because he lifted his head and squinted at me.

"Morning already?"

"Uh huh," I replied, putting one of my hands behind my head and looking up at him, "I think I could use a bath."

"Hmmm. Me too," He said softly, putting his head back down on my chest and idly stroking my hair, "We'll have to find out where it is."

"I miss speaking English," I told him in the language we had been using, Omaticayan.

"Why? You speak Omaticayan as fluidly as I do now," Jake said, looking into my eyes.

I shrugged slightly, putting us a little off balance. The hammock swayed a little.

"I guess it's the only thing that connects us to our past."

"I don't need the past anymore," Jake said simply.

I didn't argue, but I still couldn't help but feel like the past would always be with us, whether we were human or whether we were Na'vi. We pulled our loincloths back on and went back out to find everyone else. We ate breakfast quickly with the tribe. They all seemed so happy compared to the other tribes we visited. The Omaticaya, to me, always seemed so serious. The Leomatica were more casual and carefree.

"The warriors are going hunting today," Ala'kan said, coming to sit with us, "Would you like to join them, Jake? They ride their Toruk to hunt."

The olo'eyktan seemed genuinely excited about this idea. Jake just looked at me and I shrugged, "Sure."

"Oh good! And will Norm come too?"

"Oh no, I don't ride a Toruk. That's just Jake," I said immediately.

"Oh me neither! Telan has tried to convince me to claim one, but I just don't have the interest. He's such a good rider and I don't think I'll ever be. I don't ride my own. I ride with him. It is easier to hunt. He rides and I hunt. Are you a good hunter, Norm?"

I opened my mouth, but Jake beat me to it, "He has good aim. I taught him myself."

"Well, then, you _must_ come with us!" He said, grinning, happy.

Jake and I took a swim in a small pond they had a little further north on the mountain. We bathed quickly, as the hunters were ready to fly off. Jake seemed a little excited about the idea, himself. I wasn't so excited. I didn't particularly like flying. I felt safe on Shadow, but the heights still bothered me. We cleaned up, washed our hair and bodies and then went to find the rest of the clan. They had called their Toruk's to their mountain and it seemed like so many of the large aerial birds hung onto the sides. There were several of them, all different colors. It was a beautiful, amazing site to behold. Jake called Shadow and she came flying up. She seemed happy to be among others of her kind.

Jake had strung his bow and arrow on his back, as had I and the other warriors. They were eager to take flight and quickly jumped onto their Toruk's and flew into the sky.

"Just hold onto me like always, alright?" Jake said as I jumped on behind him, "I don't think they'll be doing aerial feats with so many riding double."

I didn't know what he was talking about until he took off. Several of the Na'vi had hitched a ride behind one of the warriors. I assumed they were their mates or maybe intended mates. A felt a large breeze from my side and Telan and Ala'kan came riding up next to us. Telan's Toruk was exceptionally large with blue and purple streaks on its skin. Telan was perched on the front and Ala'kan was holding on to him with one arm around his waist.

"You look terrified, Norm! I figured you were used to riding since you came so far," He said, laughing over the sound of the wind.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it," I admitted, still holding onto Jake with both hands and pressing my body close to his.

Ala'kan laughed openly and Telan suddenly raised his right hand. Ala'kan looked over his shoulder and together they banked south. The other warriors followed. Their laughter and jiving had stopped.

"They must have spotted something," Jake said, pushing Shadow to go south. The wind blew through my hair and I clutched Jake tightly against me. I could see the start of a smile on his lips.

"Don't make fun," I muttered.

"I'm not," He said, his smile widening.

We caught up with the other Toruk Maktos and could see Telan's Toruk coming out ahead. He pointed at something in the sky and Ala'kan's hands briefly left his waist as he pulled out his bow and arrow. He leaned on his mate's shoulder for leverage and aimed at some large, black animal that was crouching near a cliff on one of the neighboring mountains. The hit was good and the animal instantly dropped down. Telan nodded and grinned over his shoulder and said something to his mate in their language.

"Wow, you're really good," Jake yelled over to them as we caught up.

"I've been doing it for a while," He said and leaned back slightly with a left, "You should teach your mate how to hunt from the sky."

"Maybe I will," Jake said with a smile.

Two other warriors had gotten off their Toruk's and began to tie the dead animal to one of the Toruk's to take back to the camp. The animal was larger than I had initially thought and would probably provide many, many days of food for the people. It was a good hunt. Ala'kan had settled down from his temporary high and wrapped both arms around his mate. Telan didn't seem to mind at all.

It was strange for me to see someone of such high status being so casual in his intimacy with another male. I suppose it would take some getting used to. Ala'kan looked at us as we flew back home and he grinned. The others hooted and hollered around him and he joined in. Telan seemed to even relax a bit and smiled, letting down his guard. There was a brief moment where I saw Ala'kan lean over and kiss his mate. They were a bit below us. I thought maybe he just leaned over, but I saw the expression on Telan's face and knew. There was most defiantly a romance there.

We arrived back at camp and Ala'kan happily talked to the people who were waiting for them. I suppose he was probably sharing his story of the quick kill. He imitated pulling his arrow back and nodded at the young people gathered around. He turned around and nodded at Jake.

"Next time will be your turns. You'd better practice!" He said with big eyes and a quick nod.

The next few days were probably the best I remembered in a long time. There were no insane Na'vi trying to kill us. There were no threats, no fights. Everything was peaceful once again. There was dancing, celebration and genuine fun. There were sports, mostly compared to soccer that the young people were partial to. I even joined in a game a time or two.

Nights were the most peaceful times. Jake and I had a lot more time together. We would turn in early and lay in our hammock together, just basking in each other's presence. I had begun to weave a blanket for us to keep us warm at night. And I had begun beading again. I planned to give Jake a new necklace to replace the old one.

One afternoon I sat under a large tree and worked on my necklace for Jake. I wanted this one to be even better than the previous one. Ala'kan came over after a few moments and looked down at me.

"Care if I join you?" He asked.

I just shrugged and beckoned him over.

"That is very beautiful."

"Thank you," I said and opened my palm a bit so he could see it, "It's for Jake."

"Your Jake has a very strong spirit," He said, looking out at the neighboring mountains, where the Toruk's flew high in the sky, "He is a good warrior and a good hunter."

"Yes he is. He's very talented. He's had a lot of practice," I said, adding another bead to the necklace and meeting Ala'kan's golden eyes.

"Norm?" He asked, pursing his lips and sighing, "I know who you are. I know _what_ you are, or perhaps were. I lived with the Omaticaya long enough to know the first dreamwalkers."

My throat went dry and I hitched my breath. I looked away from him and stared deeply into the grass. Oh my God. Now what? What was I supposed to do? What was I supposed to say? How could I defend myself? Would he tell anyone? Where was Jake when I needed him? He's always off somewhere flying.

"Now, you and your mate have given us no reason to distrust you, but there is one thing I want to know. Jake has a certain…leadership quality about him that most Na'vi do not posess. I feel like there is more to the story than what meets the eye. As the clan leader I must protect those in my tribe. I think you owe me an explanation."

I shook my head immediately, ready to deny it.

"Please don't lie to me. It will only make the matter worse. You have harmed no one so far. I want only the truth. Your secret will be safe with me."

I was quiet for a while and looked out across the grass, where the flowers bloomed wild along the cracks and crevices of the mountains. I couldn't deny it anymore. He knew something. He apparently knew everything.

I opened my mouth to speak, but there was a sudden commotion from somewhere at camp. I furrowed my brows and heard someone calling desperately for Ala'kan. He looked at me briefly and jumped up.

"We'll get back to this conversation at another time, perhaps," He said, nodding slightly and hurrying over to where a group of people were calling him.

I followed at a slower pace. The people seemed suddenly frantic, crying out and looking to their chief for guidance. He was relaxed at first and his hands put up peacefully and attempted to get them to calm down. They had none of it and one stepped forward and began speaking quickly in their language. Ala'kan's calm demeanor suddenly turned terrified. He spoke back and seemed to be quickly running out of breath. I tried to stay slightly hidden near one of the buildings, but he turned back and spotted me.

"Norm! We need you!"

"What happened?" I asked.

"No time for questions. Come!"

I followed his heed and struggled to keep up as he ran past the people and down near where the Na'vi mount their Toruk's. The first thing I heard was a high pitched scream and even more commotion. There was a lot of yelling involved. I immediately thought of Jake and forethought the worst.


	18. Chapter 18

Please take the time to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

Chapter 18

When we finally arrived at the cliff several more of the Leomatica warriors were hovered over someone on the ground. Ala'kan pushed his way through the small crowd and knelt next to a prone figure on the ground. It wasn't Jake, thankfully. It was Telan.

I spotted Jake standing not too far away. He came quickly over to my side. I felt relief bloom in my chest, knowing that he was alright.

"What happened?"

"He was racing another warrior and I think his Toruk got spooked. He fell straight off of it and landed roughly on one of the lower mountains. We're not sure what's wrong with him, though. He's awake, obvious if you can hear the screaming, but definitely injured."

I nodded and scanned over Jake to be sure he was alright. He looked a bit alarmed, but otherwise was in good health. I reached out and rubbed his hand briefly. I then decided to take a few steps forward so I could at least try to assess Telan's injuries. He was wide awake, gasping for breath and had a very pained look on his face. Ala'kan began trying to help him up.

I shook my head and put a hand out, "No, don't move him. You might make it worse."

The other Na'vi let me into the circle. Ala'kan was terrified and Telan was frantic. He was trying so hard to control his breathing that it became shallow and seemed to take a lot of effort. I knelt next to him and saw several wounds already forming. One was on his lower leg and one on his head. Ala'kan had held his hand firmly and was trying to talk to him in a calm voice. He started in their language, but ended up in Omaticayan.

"No! No, Ala…" Telan muttered and was trying to pull away from him.

"He is a shaman. He can help you. At least let him look at your injuries," Ala'kan said soothingly, and leaned down to hold onto his shoulders.

Whatever self control Telan had before left quickly after. He released a gut wrenching scream and began to shake. Ala'kan jumped back and shook his head several times.

"I-I don't know what to do for him," He said, putting his hand to his chest and shaking his head several times, "I don't know how to help."

"Let me see him," I said, "Maybe I can help."

"He said he doesn't want you to touch him. I told him your secret, Norm. He was the first to notice that you and Jake are…different. He is afraid of you, I think."

"I n-no afraid!" Telan said, gasping, his brow furrowed in hurt.

"Let me just _look_ at you, Telan. I won't do anything without your permission. Let me just see what is wrong," I insisted, looking into those pain wretched golden eyes.

"No!"

Ala'kan shook his head again and leaned forward, taking Telan's hand in his and squeezing hard, "You _listen_ to him, Telan. He will help you. I am your mate. I am your olo'eyktan. You listen to _me_."

Telan looked back and forth between us, still squeezing his mate's hand. He looked like we were attempting to gang up on him and was hard pressed to find an escape route. He looked into Ala'kan's eyes and ended up closing his mouth firmly and looking away. I thought he was actually going to start crying at once from the pain, but he didn't.

Telan nodded once, quickly, but did not say a word. Ala'kan looked at me and gave me approval to begin. He continued to squeeze his hand and I could hear him whispering softly to him words of support in their language. I took my place next to the pain ridden Navi and began looking over his wounds. The wound on his leg was minor. It was bleeding, but would only need a bandage. The one on his head was worse, but couldn't possibly be causing him so much pain. I turned his face towards mine slightly and he looked at me.

"I don't know…"

"No head! Arm!" He said suddenly.

I looked at the hand that was clasped in his mates. It seemed fine. I finally noticed the unusual angle his other shoulder was in. It was bent oddly out and every breath seemed to hurt and he looked like he could possibly die. I felt his arm briefly and he let out a strangled scream.

"What is wrong with him, Norm?" Ala'kan asked, also losing some of his composure and looking to me for answers.

"His shoulder is dislocated. It can be very painful, especially from such a rough fall. We should try to sit him up now. Slowly, very slowly. Be very careful. I need to see the other side."

Ala'kan agreed and together we helped Telan into a sitting position. The excess gravity pressing on his dislocated shoulder must have made the pain twice as worse. It was a bad dislocation. There was also the possibility that the bone in his upper arm could have been broken. Telan's breath quivered and I moved to look at the other side. The bone was pressed forward.

"It needs to be put back into place," I told Ala'kan.

"Ughhh…No!" Telan argued immediately, trying to pull away.

Ala'kan looked caught between the two of us. He clearly wanted to help his injured mate, but didn't want to cause him excess pain. I understood this.

"Please, Ala'kan…Telan. It needs to be done," I looked over at Ala'kan and nodded, "He won't get any relief until the bone is popped back into place."

Ala'kan squared his jaw and nodded once, firmly, "You do what needs to be done, Norm."

"Okay, hold him," I said and leaned over Telan to hold him place, "It will only hurt for a second more. I promise."

Ala'kan steadied him. Telan wanted nothing to do with either one of us and was yelling obscenities in his language and in my own. I looked at Ala'kan and put my hand on Telan's shoulder. I pulled the bone out quickly and heard it pop into place. He had screamed loudly and ended up backed up against his mate, panting harshly.

"That's it," I said and looked at him, "Is it better?"

"Hurt," He said, looking away from me, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," I said honestly and put my hand on his arm, "Do the bones in your upper arm hurt, too?"

He seemed to be a bit better and the immediate pain had passed. There was usually constant ache even days after a dislocated shoulder was put back into place. Yet, the pain would be less each day. His eyes looked around the rest of the Na'vi who were standing over us. Ala'kan looked up and waved his hand in a very dismissive gesture. They walked away, glad that their head warrior was going to be alright and maybe even a little downtrodden that they had been dismissed so easily. Jake stayed by me and Ala'kan nodded at him, inviting him to stay.

"This bone hurt, too," He said, letting go of his mate's hand and patting his upper arm.

"Is it okay if I look?" I asked, figuring it would probably be wise to ask.

He nodded. I leaned over and felt the bones in his arm. I did not feel any sticking out at any unusual angles and there didn't seem to be any excess swelling.

"There might be a small fracture. It should be wrapped—the shoulder too," I advised and looked over at my shoulder, "Jake, can you go get some wrappings for this? It should be wrapped before he gets up."

Jake agreed and went back to the camp to find the first aide items.

"You're smart, Norm," Ala'kan said and exhaled, "I didn't know if you could do it, but so far you seem to know what's best."

I blushed slightly at the comment and looked down shyly, "Well, he needed help and I was here."

Telan looked at me as he lay back in Ala'kan's arms, "I no trust you before, Norm. You different. But, You know medicine. You know Na'vi body. I no want your help, but you make pain go away."

Jake came back a while later and Ala'kan and I held Telan still while we wrapped his shoulder. He wasn't in half as much pain as before, but I still gave him a natural pain reliever that would work after about 15 minutes.

"It might make you tired," I advised, helping him stand up. He swayed slightly for a second and it was probably a good thing Ala'kan had his arm around him, "But maybe sleep is a good thing for now."

Ala'kan and I helped get Telan back to their sleeping quarters. We set up a small cot in the corner of their dwelling, so he could sleep on his back in a straight position, instead of on the hammock. Telan winced as he lay down on the bed and settled in. It was strange to see such a strong warrior take down their wall of self control and just let someone else take care of them for a change. I stood in the shadows while Ala'kan pulled a blanket down from a high shelf and cover him with it. He leaned forward to kiss his forehead and said something softly in their language.

Ala'kan turned toward me and nodded, "Thank you for your help today, Norm. I don't know what we would have done without you. I hate seeing him in pain. I've never been so worried about him before."

"It's alright Ala'kan. I really didn't even think twice about it," I admitted.

H e just smiled softly and nodded, "It was difficult for me to see him like that today. He's usually so strong. I just never thought he would be the one to get wounded. I guess you just never know."

"That's true."

His golden eyes glanced over at me and he sighed, "Norm. Today you showed me that you can be trusted and you can help our people. When I took you and Jake in, it was on a whim. I didn't know much about you. I try to be accommodating, especially after hearing your story. I decided that if you don't feel like sharing your true story with us, you don't have to."

At first I was grateful for the words, but then guilt began to seep in.

"I was surprised that you knew so much," I admitted, taking a look at their red and orange decorated walls and the beads that hung in the doorway, "I will tell you my story now."


	19. Chapter 19

Thank you guys for those awesome reviews! I'm hoping these next few chapters will tie up a few loose ends for you! Enjoy this!

Chapter 19

Ala'kan quickly looked over to his mate to be sure he would be alright. He tucked in the blanket around him and followed me outside. I went underneath the same tree from earlier, one of my favorite places, and crouched in the grass. I had been trying to think of the best way to tell him the truth. He sat next to me in the grass and looked my way.

"You were right, Ala'kan," I started and met his gaze, "We were dreamwalkers, but we're not anymore. Our souls now live permanently in this Na'vi body. Our human bodies are no more."

Ala'kan sat quietly and listened. I took a few deep breaths and delved further into the story.

"I was shocked to hear that you knew about such things. I had studied years to learn about the Na'vi and their habitat. Jake hadn't studied at all. Jake was a marine—a human word for warrior. Jake was lost in the jungle. Neytiri found him and took him in. He fell right into the ways of the Na'vi and first became a hunter. He learned their ways. I had to watch from afar. He had everything—at least I thought he did. His feelings for the Na'vi changed. In the beginning it was about getting information. Finding clues. After that, he mated with Neytiri."

"Neytiri…Neytiri. I think I have heard of her. She was in the tribe?" He asked.

"Yes, she was the princess."

"Ni'nat may have spoken of her once or twice before I left. We were young, but I believe that Ni'nat was friends with Neytiri," He continued.

I paused and cocked my head to the side, "Wait a minute—you _know_ Ni'nat?"

"Ni'nat is my sister."

I exhaled and furrowed my brows, not sure I could possibly take _any_ more surprising news, "Your sister? You're serious?"

I was suddenly taken back to the first night I spent with him and Telan. We had been in the kitchen, eating dinner. Ala'kan had shared his beautiful singing voice with the clan…

"You sing!" I said suddenly.

He just grinned and nodded.

"So does she!" I babbled suddenly.

His eyebrows rose and he laughed, "You're full of observations today, I see."

I just shook my head, still very surprised and continued on, "The RDA decided they would go to war against the Omaticayan tribe and pretty much all Na'vi in general. They wanted the land. They wanted to _mine_ the land. The Na'vi didn't want to move from Hometree. Jake sided with them…it's a long story."

"You're doing fine. Continue. I'm very intrigued. I have heard nothing from the Omaticaya tribe for a very long time."

I continued explaining even more of the story to him. I felt like I was revealing part of my soul. In a way, I probably was. It felt like relief, telling him some of it. In other ways, I felt like I really had no choice. I knew if I didn't tell then guilt would just eat at me for days on end. I told him about how Hometree had been destroyed and Jake struggled to fit in. I told him how Neytiri doubted him. I shared my own thoughts on the war. I never wanted anything to do with it. I told him about how Jake became Toruk Makto.

I told him the real reason why Jake seemed like such a leader. Out of everything, finding out that Jake had been the olo'eyktan seemed to be the most shocking for him, but it shouldn't have been. I explained how Neytiri had an illness and had passed onto Eywa. I told him of Jake's anger and confusion. I told him how Jake came to me after the war was over and asked me to join the tribe permanently. I told him _everything_.

When I finished my story it was already dark. The leaves glowed around us and I'm sure Jake was probably wondering where I had gone to. Ala'kan seemed to be digesting the information.

"When I met you, I knew you and Jake were different. I didn't have bad feelings. They were good feelings. I thank you for sharing this with me Norm. I'm sure it must have been difficult. It sounds as if your life being Na'vi has been very complex. I hope that your time here will allow you to enjoy life more. Enjoy your mate more," Ala'kan said and leaned his back against the tree, "Have you and Jake spoke about the mating ceremony?"

"We have," I said hesitantly, "We have decided that we will do it. After today I really have made up my mind."

"Today? Why today?"

"I can see how much you love Telan. When he was hurting, you acted as if the pain was in _you_."

"I wish it could have been. I hate to see him suffer like that," He admitted, "Telan makes me very happy. You see him serious most of the time, but he's not always like that. He can be fun and carefree too. He is a strong warrior, excellent hunter…and marvelous in the hammock."

It took me a moment or two to translate the words and I stared at him dumbstruck, "Ala'kan!"

He just laughed at me and nodded, "It is the truth!"

"Jake wants the ceremony. I could take it or leave it. I already love him. We've already mated before Eywa through our tsuhaylu bond. I just feel like there isn't much more for us to do," I said softly.

"It sounds to me like you and Jake spent a lot of time hiding from problems and hiding your relationship from others. You no longer have to worry about that. You can be open here, free. The people are welcoming of any relationship that has been mated before Eywa. Sometimes it is good to just let your worries go. Perhaps it is time that the Na'vi embrace and celebrate your love for each other. That's what the ceremony is all about. Tell me, Norm. Does Jake make you feel complete?"

"Yes, of course he does. I went so many long seasons without him. I don't think I could go a day without him today," I said.

I let my fingers run through the rich dirt and looked at the wild flowers shimmering brightly around us. Small dots on Ala'kan's face glowed neon green as he looked at me in the darkness. His large golden eyes glowed under the night's sky .

"The ceremony is called _Onotu' _in our language. It means 'to become one'. It is a very important ceremony. The two intended mates are separated for the day. They are each cleansed and purified by the people. They are bathed in exotic perfumes and are made to look beautiful. It is a day of prayer, of thankfulness to Eywa. It is a day of celebration, of anticipation. Granted, most couples have not yet had the tsuhaylu mating yet. I know you already have. But, don't let that stop you, Norm! It will be the best day of your life. You will not regret it for an instant. Let the Na'vi embrace you. Show them that you love Jake. Show them you are not ashamed. This is the best way. Have you ever made tsahaylu with Jake when you're not mating?"

I shook my head, embarrassed, "I never had the need to."

"If you decide to have Onotu', you will make tsahaylu with Jake in front of the clan. It is the completion of your bond. It is what's most important."

"I'm nervous about this. It's much different than…than what humans do. I know I probably shouldn't compare, but I can't help it. Human is what I know. Na'vi is what I'm learning."

"Do your humans have mating ceremonies?"

I nodded, "Humans get _married_," I said, using English for a change. It felt almost foreign on my tongue. I had become accustomed to speaking Omaticayan.

Ala'kan nodded, "I heard you and Jake speaking your language once. It was only for a moment. You may have not even noticed you did it. But, I noticed. I know Omaticayan too well to miss words. Your English language is so unusual."

"We were afraid to speak it. We were afraid you would catch on."

"Well, you can use it now, if you wish. I want you and Jake to feel comfortable here. This ceremony will complete the bond you have with Jake and will also be official entry as a member of the clan," Ala'kan explained and said, "Of course, we would still like you to continue learning Leomatica."

"Oh, of course," I said and looked away.

"I should probably go check on Telan," Ala'kan said and got up from the ground to stretch, "You go talk to your Jake and tell me when you'll be ready for the ceremony."

I thanked him and we parted our ways. I went back to our dwelling down the side of the cliff. There, the half made handrails lay. The posts had been hammered into the ground, but the sides still had to be put up. I smiled to myself and pushed open our cloth curtain. Jake sat on the floor carving something into wood. He looked up when I entered.

"You've been gone a long time," He said, "Was everything alright with Telan?"

"Yes, he's fine. Just resting. Look Jake, something has happened that you should know about," I began. I took a seat next to Jake. He looked extremely concerned, "Ala'kan and Telan know about us, Jake. They know everything now."

"What? How could they possibly know?"

"They were skeptical of us from the beginning. I would have never thought Ala'kan to be. But, it explains Telan's strange behavior towards us the first days we were here. They knew then already, Jake. Ala'kan wanted to know the rest. I couldn't lie. I just couldn't. I'm sorry."

Jake chewed on his lip and digested the information, "Everything?"

"Everything. I told him about us starting as dreamwalkers. I told him about your first mating to Neytiri. I told him everything," I explained.

"Oh Norm…" Jake said wistfully and looked towards the door, "How did he take it?"

"Surprisingly well."

"When do they want us to leave?"

I clamped my mouth closed and glanced at him. He was serious. His beautiful golden eyes were downcast. He didn't seem at all surprised at the news, really.

"Leave?"

"Well, don't they want us to leave?"

"No, Jake. They want us to _stay_. Ala'kan is grateful for my help today. He said it made the difference," I said and reached out to take Jake's hand, "They are both amazed at your flying and hunting abilities. They want us to have the mating ceremony. They want us to join the Leomatica tribe."

Jake shook his head, "How could they want that? Does he understand what we did?"

"It wasn't what _we_ did, Jake. It was what _they_ did. We did nothing wrong. Stop feeling so guilty. You were right when you told me to relax those weeks ago. I should have. I'm happy here. I know you are too. I know we've talked a little about it, but I think we should go through with this mating ceremony."

"Really? I had the distinct feeling you only wanted it because _I_ wanted it."

"Well, I did. But _now_ I want it for my own reasons, as well."

"It would be like getting married," Jake said, quickly switching to English in the seriousness of the conversation. It was strange and even our English was beginning to get an unusual Na'vi lilt to it, "Do you want to marry me?"

"Are you proposing again?"

"No, I'm serious, Norm."

I sighed, "Jake, we've talked about this already. I said yes. I'm not going to change my mind."

"When do you want the ceremony?"

I smiled lightly and kissed him once gently on the mouth, "As soon as Eywa will allow it."


	20. Chapter 20

Wow. Thank you guys so much for the reviews. They're so great. I'm so glad you like this story. It's good to hear that you guys enjoy it so much! Please continue to review and help me surpass 100 reviews. That would just totally make my day!! I read on the comments that many of you have been waiting for this chapter for a long time. So, without further delay—Norm and Jake's bonding ceremony!!

Chapter 20

Jake and I had decided to have the ceremony three days after speaking about it. It was to be outside underneath the mountain's only Tree of Truth. Ala'kan was confused as to why we wanted to have the ceremony there, as opposed to the Tree of Souls. Jake only bit his lip and smiled wryly. He explained that it had a sentimental value.

The morning of our ceremony we went and ate breakfast as usual. I excused myself early and went back to our hut to retrieve the gift I made for Jake. I had been keeping it hidden among our blanket and cooking utensils. He had yet to find it. I had crafted a small wicker box and slid the necklace inside. When he came back to our dwelling shortly I presented the gift to him. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't we supposed to be exchanging gifts later?" He asked.

"What do you mean? You already _gave_ me mine," I said, putting my right hand above my leathers.

He just smiled, "Am I not allowed to give you another?"

"Well…I-I don't have anything else for you, Jake."

He rolled his eyes and sighed, placing his hand on my shoulder, "I don't _need_ anything else, Norm. Having you is enough."

I just gave a little smile at the rather romantic notion. He nodded at me and looked back outside as a Toruk flew by.

"We should be getting ready now," He said.

I shuffled my feet around, "I suppose."

"Are you nervous?"

"Yes," I admitted, "Mostly because there will be so many people there watching."

"I'm kind of excited!" He said with a grin. He took a step forward and closed my hand around the gift, "Keep this until later. I have something to give to you during the ceremony."

A while later I went to find Jahok, who was the clan's spiritual leader. He would speak to me and Jake one on one more before the ceremony that evening. I pushed aside the beads hanging from the entrance to his dwelling and nervously stepped inside. He smiled at me and asked me to sit with him. He spoke to me in Leomatican, which I didn't understand too well. He congratulated me on our "engagement" and sent thanks to Eywa for joining us together. I had a feeling that he typically said more, but since I didn't understand much of the language, the speech was enough.

Ala'kan had talked with me before about what was to take place before the ceremony. Jahok and one of the few women of the tribe, Belin, took me to the pond. Jahok started pulling at my loincloth and I took a shaky step backwards into the pond, almost falling backwards. Belin just giggled to herself and took my hand. I raised my eyebrow and shook my head at them.

"Okay, Norm…okay," She said, apparently indicating that it was okay. I didn't see anything okay about it.

Jahok seemed to understand my resistance, because he pushed me back a bit in the water and then indicated removing the loincloth myself. I was reluctant about this, but did what he asked. Belin put a hand out for it and I handed it to her. Jahok smiled a bit in her direction and stepped closer to me in the water. He raised both hands over my head and said a prayer in their language. I looked around slightly, actually grateful there was no one else around. Belin gave a sharp nod of her downwards. I understood that I was supposed to bow my head. I did as instructed and Jahok finally put his hands down.

Belin handed me some soap and I nodded, taking it from her. I cleaned my body quickly, figuring that's what they wanted me to do. They both smiled and talked to me encouragingly. I rinsed off and figured we must be finished, but Belin stepped forward and touched my hair. I looked into her bright eyes, wondering what she was doing. She said something in her language and pointed at my many tiny braids in my hair. I just nodded again, not understanding a word she was saying. I figured they weren't going to hurt me, either way. She began pulling out the beads in my hair and unravel ling my braids. They turned into a big frizzy mess of dark hair moments later. She put her hand on my shoulder and pushed hard. I knelt down in the rather shallow water.

"Ahhhh….okay," She said with a nod and a smile. I guessed that was the only Omaticayan word she knew.

During the times I had washed my hair in the past I typically tried not to excessively wash my long braid. I was a bit afraid of whether or not I would damage the queue if I did so. Belin undid the tie at the very end of my braid and I pulled back. She just shook her head, said "okay" again and pushed me back into the water. She undid the braid and the long layers of hair fell around my shoulder and floated in the pond. She pulled the hair around my face and I put my hand behind me, surprised to feel the neutral connection line ran through the entire braid. It started somewhere near the bottom of my head, near the place where the brain met the spinal cord.

Belin played with her own hair for a moment and indicated that I put my head back. I leaned back slightly in the water and she stood over me, wetting my hair. When I sat back up wet pools of water fell from my dark hair and back into the water. Jahok handed her some kind of shampoo and she lathered up my hair with it. It smelled strongly of lilacs. She rubbed her fingers through each strand, massaging my scalp and getting deep into my hairline. She moved the light peach colored queue connectors out of the way and made sure my hair was clean from root to tip. Jahok handed her a brush and she brushed through the long strands, pulling out the tangles. It was the first time my hair had ever been brushed.

They both took a few steps back and out of the water and indicated that I follow. I shook my head and blushed, not wanting them to see me naked. Jahok seemed a little annoyed, but at least Belin understood. She said something again in Leomatican and handed me a piece of cloth. It was a light colored loincloth, supple in feeling and soft. My old loin cloth had seen its days, anyway. I thanked her and just stood there in the water, waiting for direction. She looked over at Jahok and pointed the other direction. He looked at me, looked at her and then turned around, facing the other direction. They both stood there waiting with their backs to me. While they had their heads turned, I quickly exited the pond and pulled the cords of the loincloth together at the side and struggled to get my tail through it quickly.

Belin turned around a few moments later and clapped, "Okay."

I followed them both back to a resting place near where a few large trees loomed overhead. Belin sat down and patted for me to follow. I sat down next to her and she began on my hair right away. She pulled the majority of the hair together in the back. She carefully weaved my hair into a braid around the queue, careful to avoid touching the connection. Then she went back to the top of my hair, putting many small diamonds through the strands of braids she had made.

"Where Jake?" I asked in the little bit of the language I knew.

He looked at me and waved, "I will purify Jake later."

That got me thinking. This must be some kind of ritual they do for every mated couple. I looked at the beads Belin was putting in my hair and hoped I wasn't supposed to be the girl in this relationship. I didn't want to look too "pretty" on my wedding day. Belin just smiled at me when I looked at her. She took a few pastel colored feathers and added them to my hair.

"Okay," She said again and nodded at Jahok. She switched to her own language and began speaking to me, "Jahok will finish."

Jahok had a small bag with him and he managed to fish out a tiny storage container filled with something white. He opened the top, put it aside, and pulled out a thin, long brush. He dipped the brush into the white colored paint and tilted my head towards him. He began painting on my forehead. I had no idea what I looked like. It took a long time and it tickled. After he finished my face he put a design on my arm. I looked down at it and saw a weaving vine pattern from the white paint. He was a good artist. Belin looked on curiously and I had the faint idea that she must be his apprentice.

A while later Belin took me back to camp and kept me inside one of the nicer dwelling places. It was rather secluded and no one had seen me yet. I figured Jahok must be readying Jake for his appearance tonight, also. Belin uncorked a bottle and began applying sweet smelling oil to my skin. She looked at me and smiled.

"Your mate _like_ this," She said in Leomatican. I understood most of it, thankfully, but was still very embarrassed.

She stayed with me for a while, talking to me in her language. I didn't understand much of it. She said something about being excited. I wasn't sure if she was implying me or herself. She went on and on. Someone brought a mid-afternoon snack to us a while later. We sat together and ate the fruit quietly.

"It is time," She said, pointing out the door and then switching to Omaticayan, "Okay?"

"Okay," I said with a little smile.

I followed her outside. It was already dark and had rained for about an hour later in the afternoon. The trees and flowers glistened like gems from the droplets and the small moon of a planet seemed to be calling out to me. It was such a relaxing feeling. I was nervous, but ready for the big day. I never thought I would see my wedding day, but the time had finally come.

Belin took me out to where the crowd had gathered in front of the Tree of Trust. Ala'kan met me there, nodding slightly at Belin and taking my hand. He escorted me up to the front and complimented me on my appearance. The long blue leave of the Tree of Trust rustled in the slight wind and I looked out at all the Na'vi who stood before me. I couldn't help but be nervous. I wasn't usually good with crowds.

Then I spotted Jake.

He looked rather terrified for a second, probably noticing the number of people in the crowd, as I had. And then his gaze settled on mine. He smiled at me brightly and nodded. His hair had been completely redone. Before arriving at this clan he had a few misplaced braids that he put in to keep the hair out of his eyes. Now the top of his head was completely braided and clipped in the back, where several white feathers fell down across into his queue braid. He didn't have any beads, but I did notice a couple of purple flowers weaved in and out across the small braids.

Suddenly there was no crowd anymore. My eyes locked upon Jake and it was all I could see. He joined me at the front, near the tree, and Ala'kan took both of our hands. He said something to the people and they sat down. I wish I had known more Leomatica, because I missed so much of what he said. He turned to us a moment later, probably noting our confusion. He smiled a bit.

"I will repeat in Omaticayan so you understand," He said quickly, "I thanked the tribe for coming to your Onotu'. I told them that it was Eywa's will that you two be joined together. You may hold the hands of your intended."

I looked over at Jake and marveled at how beautiful he was. The tiny dots on his skin glowed light green on his skin and the entire scene looked like something out of a fairy tale. His golden speckles eyes rested upon me and he took both of my hands and squeezed them. We smiled at each other and listened while Ala'kan continued in Leomatican.

"The joining of two Na'vi is a very special moment," He began suddenly, switching to our language, "It is a moment we wish for all of Leomatica to share. We bring together these two Na'vi in peace and understanding. We wish them hope for their future lives together."

He waited a few moments and I finally broke eye contact with Jake to look out into the eager crowd. There were so many eyes upon it, it was unreal.

"Would you like to say anything to each other before you make tsahaylu?" Ala'kan asked.

I nodded, "I would like to say something, if that is okay. I don't think the people will understand, but I know that Jake will."

"Of course. That is fine," Ala'kan said.

I had decided a long time that our vows to each other would mean more if they were in our native language. It was the first language I knew and the first language we spoke together. It brought back memories of when I first met him on board at the RDA base and how our lives together had blossomed from then on.

"Jake, I can honestly say I never thought I would be standing here with you. We've been through so much together. I'm so happy to have you here with me now. You should know that you're my best friend and I would be nothing without you. Ala'kan asked me if you complete me. I said yes and it is the wholehearted truth. I think back to how lonely I was before and how happy I am now. I wake up every day, happy to be in your arms, happy to be with you. Thank you for being my everything."

Jake's eyes were locked upon mine and he took in a rather shaky breath. He unhooked one hand from mine, sniffled and rubbed at his eyes. He smiled tearfully and nodded. He took both of my hands again and brought them upwards and took a step closer to me. He began to recite the vows he had created, himself.

"We've been through so much together. That is so very true. We've lived in a gigantic tree together, we crossed the ocean together, we are living on another _planet_ together. We have so much going for us. We have so much more of a future ahead for ourselves. I have seen so many amazing things on my short time on this planet. I can only imagine what the future will hold for us. I could never have imagined the type of wonder that Eywa allows us here. It is more than I could have dreamed of! And I would do anything for you, Norm. I would lay down my life for you to be sure that you live happily. I will _never_ leave you. You can always count on me. I will _always_ be here. Thank you for being my friend and for being my love."

He moved his hand again and cradled my face. A few stray tears fell from my eyes and I embarrassedly pushed them away. His vows seemed so much more real, so much truer than I could have imagined. Jake looked over at Ala'kan, as if he were asking permission to kiss me. Ala'kan raised an eyebrow and chuckled a little. He nodded and placed his hands on both of our backs, pushing us slightly together.

Jake leaned forward and kissed me. My hand went around to the back of his head and caressed the long strands of his hair. Jake's lips explored mine and he suddenly intensified the kiss. My eyebrows rose after a moment or two and he released me. He took a deep breath and grinned, his hands going back to his sides. The crowd gave a small laugh and I looked out at them meekly, feeling a blush arise on my features. Ala'kan laughed next to us and moved his hand to our shoulders.

"Kneel," He instructed.

We both knelt down and Jake took my hands again. I smiled back at him shyly and Ala'kan put his hands over us and said a prayer.

"It is time now," He said, looking down upon us, "It is time to make tsahaylu."

Jake looked a bit nervous, but nodded. I pulled my braid over my shoulder and looked at Jake for further instruction. He paused momentarily, but placed his braid near my own. The tendrils from both of our queue's reached out to each other and I allowed the connection. My eyes dilated quickly and I took a quick, spellbound breath at the feelings before me. It was like all the background noise had faded away and everything around us became hazy. Jake studied me and smiled. I didn't need the bond to feel his emotion. I could already see them so clearly in his bright eyes.

A voice from beyond our connection broke our thoughts, "Now I will ask Eywa to send her support."

He said something in their language. It took a moment or two, but suddenly Jake inhaled and a rush of emotions and pictures flew by my eyes. I saw Jake as a child, he was there with Tommy. I saw them playing together, happy as children could be. I saw when he got the news that his brother died. He was stricken with sorrow. I could feel the pain through the bond. I soon realized I could send him thoughts of my childhood, too. I sent him thoughts of me playing at school and Christmases at home.

The visions changed from Earth to Pandora suddenly. He showed me his happiness of riding Shadow, his love of flying. He showed me the first time he had made a kill, aided by Neytiri. He showed his pain at losing her. Then I was in his vision. I saw how he sees me every day, though his eyes. He sent me images of me studying plants. I showed him a vision of the first time we made love. He exhaled and smiled. Jake leaned forward, pulling me close to him. The emotions continued and we stared at each other for the longest time. No words were exchanged. There were no words needed.

I could have stayed in that bond forever, but Eywa allowed such a strong connection for only a few minutes. It was like I could read his mind. There were no secrets between us. I knew him and he knew me. There was such an intense love. There were so many amazing feelings. The strong connection began to fade until I could feel only Jake's current feelings. He beamed at me and stroked the connection. I nodded and he withdrew the connection.

Ala'kan watched with rather tearful eyes, himself and sniffled a bit, "I cry at every Onotu'. I can't help it…You can stand up, now."

I smiled a bit and Jake and I both stood up. Jake took my hand and Ala'kan moved to stand beside Jake. He said something to the people.

"We will now welcome you into the clan," He said, motioning his own mate over.

Telan put his uninjured hand on Jake's shoulder. Telan was doing much better now. His arm was healing. He was anxious to ride his Toruk again, but thankful that I had helped him. Suddenly the crowd was nearing us. I must have looked panicked for a moment or two, but Jake just kept holding onto my hand and grinning. I held tightly onto Jake's clasped hands and Ala'kan put his hand on my shoulder. I looked around to see that everyone was joined to someone else through their hands. It was like one huge, beautiful Na'vi puzzle.

Ala'kan spoke loudly to the people, who looked eagerly at us and all nodded a few times. I looked into Jake's golden eyes and he grinned at me. His skin shined and I could smell the lilac from his hair. He looked absolutely ravishing tonight. The white paint was traced upon the dark blue lines in his forehead and disappeared into his hair line. He looked like a Na'vi tiger.

"Norm and Jake, you are now both members of the Leomatica tribe. Welcome!" He said, patting my shoulder, "Now, here is Telan's and my gift to you."

I looked at him curiously. I wasn't sure what he meant. Jahok stepped forward, bowing slightly at Ala'kan and turning to me. He put a hand on my shoulder and I ended up kneeling. Jahok began to use red paint to trace along the white lines of my forehead. He also painted to wide red stripes along both of my arms. I knew what the red stood for, but was surprised when Telan handed me a basket full of items.

"These medicine items for you, Norm. These from last shaman. They yours now," He said, gesturing for me to take them, "You prove you are good shaman. You Leomatica now. You medicine man."

I felt my eyes tear up slightly, but I nodded, "Thank you."

He smiled and I stood up. Telan stood in front of Jake.

"Kneel please."

He did so, but looked genuinely confused. I wasn't sure what they planned to do for him. Jahok stepped forward again and began using yellow paint to trace the white marriage pattern on Jake's forehead.

"Jake, you good warrior. You fly and we no have to teach you. You good hunter, too. This for you," Telan said, nodding once. One of the Na'vi came up to Jake and handed a package to him. Jake looked inside, unsure, but pulled out several new arrows, tinged yellow and blue. He dug in there again and pulled out a sharp new knife and a small spear, "You be warrior in tribe. You be warrior and Norm be shaman. We glad to have you."

"Oh, thank you Telan. This is very generous," Jake said, his hand running over the new arrows.

Telan stepped aside to let his mate take over. Jake looked at Ala'kan for instructions for what to do next.

"What now?" I finally asked.

Ala'kan grinned, "Now we dance!"


	21. Chapter 21

Hey guys! Thank you for the reviews. It's been great reading them throughout the writing of this story. Sorry this chapter took a little longer to be updated. I was having some problems getting it to upload! Here's the final chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 21

Jake and I spent the evening of our _Onotu' _laughing, dancing, eating and generally having a good time. Ala'kan had sang a song for us and the rest of the Na'vi had joined in. It was an upbeat song and Telan sat close to Ala'kan and was grinned at us.

"This song for you. You need dance together!" He said loudly, shewing us off.

"You want _us_ to dance?" I asked.

Jake apparently thought it was hilarious. He had been drinking some _uli, _or Na'vi liqueur, all evening and was a bit buzzed. He grabbed me around the waist and I had no choice but to hold on as he laughed and spun me around. His happiness was contagious and a grin grew and grew upon my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He stilled my head and kissed me back, pressing his tongue into my mouth. I rubbed his cheek and smiled against his mouth.

"This is great!" Jake announced loudly in English, still swinging me around and moving his feet to the beat, "This is so much fun!"

I laughed at his antics. We danced a little while longer and Ala'kan invited us to sit down to eat a late feast. Apparently the other warriors had gone hunting today and found a Na'vi type boar. The meat was tender and delicious and fell right off the bone. Jake continued to drink more _uli_ and someone further down the tail filled my glass with it. I sniffed it finding the smell strange, but not horrible. I drank some and it had an aftertaste similar to cherries.

A couple of hours later I was up and swinging him to the beat. I laughed loudly and he reached up to rub at one of my ears. He held the glass of _uli_ in his other hand and took another drink. I grabbed the glass and took a drink of my own. Other Na'vi danced around us, their bodies swaying to the beat. Jake settled his hand on my lower back and petted my tail. He looked at me and kissed my cheek. I giggled and he laughed. I fumbled a moment before wrapping an arm around him and we twirled around in a circle.

"Are you drunk?" He asked, smirking.

"Nooooo," I sang, pulling slightly on his braid and grinning, "Na'vi don't g-get _drunk_!"

"Oh. Coulda fooled me."

I just smiled and fingered the ties at his loincloth, "I like your new l-loincloth Jake. It fits you _well_!"

He burst out laughing and steadied me before I fell face down and embarrassed myself in front of the crowd. I just laughed and hung onto him. Several of the Na'vi had left to retire for the evening and only a few remained after the meal. We stopped dancing and he pressed me up against a nearby tree, his body moving sensually against mine.

I felt a hand on my arm and looked up into the eyes of Ala'kan, "Most of the clan has retired for the night. You might want to as well. The people added a few gifts of their own to your dwelling today while you were preparing for _Onotu'_."

"Gifts?" I asked, my arm still wrapped around Jake, "T-they give us gifts?"

I found that I actually struggled a little to pronunciate in Omaticayan. The language was so fluid and different from English. Or maybe it was just because I had one too many to drink. Ala'kan chuckled and patted Jake on the back.

"Good thing you made those handrails. We don't want to lose anybody off the side of the cliff tonight," Ala'kan said, nodding in my direction, "Goodnight to you both."

"Goodnight Ala'kan," we said together and watched the last of the Na'vi walk away.

"Let's g-go see what he's talkin' bout Jake," I said, excited, but a bit sleepy.

We clumsily steered ourselves across camp and then down the cliff. I slid a little on the rock and clung to it, laughing hysterically. Jake was already below me, most likely ready to catch me if I were to fall. He laughed at me and pulled me down the rest of the way. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him.

"Look! Beads!" I announced the moment our dwelling came into view.

"Oh Norm. You're so funny tonight. I've never seen you like this before," He said, admiring the colorful bead curtains and walking through them, "We're going to get you drunk more often. You're a funny drunk!"

"I _s-said_ I'm not drunk!" I replied, shaking my head wildly and following him inside.

We were both dubbed speechless for a moment when we took in the changes that had been made. The walls had been painted blue and red, bringing much more light and color to the otherwise neutral dwelling. On the floor lay a yellow weave rug to cover the dirt floor. There was a stack of several gifts in the corner. I couldn't wait to look through them! Even our hammock was new.

"Wow!" Jake said, kneeling down to look at the gifts, "I can't believe they did this for us…so many good things they have done for us."

He started rifling through the presents, pulling out a new set of wooden plates and spoons, various trinkets, paints, assortment of plant samples, and a small jar of…

"What is this, Jake?" I asked, bending down next to him and opening the jar to sniff it, "It s-smells funny."

I passed it to him and his eyes widened. He took some of the clear liquid on his finger and looked at me with a funny expression. He shorted suddenly and handed it back to me.

"And _that's_ what we'll use instead of the lotion tonight," He said.

I frowned at it and the words took a second or two to sink in. Lube? They gave us lube as a wedding gift?

Jake took the basket full of supplies and his new hunting gear and laid them next to the gifts. He backed me up against the wall so fast I almost tripped on the new rub.

"Umph!" I said as his mouth attacked my own.

"Only in _this_ tribe," He said though the kiss and started laughing again.

He said _I_ was the one that was drunk, but I don't think he was completely sober, either. Our new loincloths were shed after an awkward moment or two. I had some trouble getting my tail out of it. Jake made me turn around and he tugged my tail out while I complained.

"Oh, stop complaining," He said, kissing me again.

His fingers wrapped around my erect cock and he kneaded the muscle. My mouth opened and I cried out, basking in the pleasure of it all. The rest of the night was a rather blurry haze. He had ended up pushing me into the hammock and using the lube to prepare me quickly. It was half way through our love making that he suddenly remembered through his drunken haze that we could make our tsuhaylu bond. He linked our braids together and sighed as everything became purely physical. After we reached our climaxes he collapsed on top of me and pressed his face next to my ear.

"I think that sobered me," He said.

"I just feel dizzy," I said.

"That's because the hammock is moving, skxawng," He said, shaking his head at me and rolling his eyes.

"Oh."

We fell asleep soon after. We were exhausted from the long day. I woke up feeling extremely groggy. I blinked a few times and put a hand to my head.

"Ugh…"

Jake looked up from where he had ended up pressed up against my side during the night.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Like I drank a keg," I replied a little roughly, rubbing the area between my eyes and sighing loudly.

He snickered quietly, "You were really drunk. My stomach feels a little upset, but other than that I'm-"

He didn't even get a chance to answer, because I suddenly jumped out of the hammock, stark naked and ran outside. I knelt over the side of the cliff, especially glad for the handrails, and began to throw up. He came out a moment later to check on me. I sat back on my bottom and leaned against our hut. I rubbed my tired eyes and let my hands rest upon my knees. Jake came out of the hut and sat next to me.

"Some night, huh?"

"Yeah I can't believe we danced…"

"I had a good time. I think everybody did," He replied, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I leaned into his touch and let my head rest on his shoulder. He smiled a bit and looked over at me, "You might want to get dressed. You never know what curious Na'vi might come and greet us this morning. It's pretty late, I think. I'm _sure_ we missed breakfast already."

I just groaned and went back into our little hut to find my loincloth. Later we went to the gathering area and spent the morning thanking everyone for the gifts. We never did find out who sent us the lubricant, assuming that's what it was supposed to be used for. I had the distinct feeling that Ala'kan was the one who sent it. He seemed the type to give a gift like that.

"Oh Jake!" I said suddenly, pulling him away for a moment, "I completely forgot to give you your gift last night. I have to give it to you!"

"Alright."

We exchanged gifts in the privacy of our dwelling. I gave him the necklace and he was completely amazed by it. It was similar to the last one, but meticulously made and with the colors of the Leomatica warriors.

"I love it Norm. If anybody tries to take this one off of me, they'll be in for a beating!"

I laughed and he handed me my gift. It was wrapped in a cloth and I frowned, opening it up. It was a small tree, shaped and molded by skilled crafters hands. The tiny, wooden tree fit into the palm of my hand and I admired the colors he used on it, neon blue leaves and a light brown trunk.

"The Tree of Trust?" I asked, looking over at him in awe.

He nodded and stepped forward, turning it around in my hand.

"Did you _make_ this?" I asked, amazed.

"Yes. I've been carving a lot. I just started peeling away layers one day and all of a sudden it looked like a tree. This is where we first mated and made tsahaylu. This is where I first decided I wanted to be with you forever," He said softly.

"That was so long ago…way back then, Jake?"

"Way back then," He repeated with a smile.

I frowned and looked down sighing.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"Like it? It's amazing! It's just that you put so much time into this. It's such a wonderful gift, Jake. I don't know what to say…mine wasn't half as nice-"

"Don't say that! That's not true. I love what you made for me…and I love _you_!"

I nodded and he leaned over to kiss me. We looked at the tiny tree together and reminiscenced on our past. We did have good memories. I had been so worried that we would never get the chance to be accepted and that we would never be able to settle down. The Leomatica tribe proved us wrong. They had been so gracious, so giving towards us. It was where we were meant to be.

"So are you feeling any better than you were this morning?" He asked for a while.

"Yeah, a bit," I said, my headache beginning to reside.

"Race you to the pond?" Jake asked happily.

"You're on!" I said with a grin, laughing and chasing him the entire way.

The End~


End file.
